In The Line Of Duty
by tattoohero
Summary: Doing one's duty is something the T'Soni sisters are taught from birth. Even if means putting your life on the line. Something the eldest daughter, Kaja, knows all too well. Set in 2407.
1. Chapter I

**In The Line Of Duty**

Chapter I

May 2407

A security prison space station in the Widow System

Jimmy Nichols, former Eclipse mercenary, sits, eating his prison lunch in the chow hall or so the prisoners call it.. He's been in the facility for almost twenty years and has hated every minute of it. He doesn't think he deserves to serve his two twenty-five sentences in a maximum security prison. He didn't kill anyone, attempted to and failed. Even the kidnapping ended up as a failure as well. Nothing Jimmy has done in his life has turned out well. He failed at being a merc, his orders were to eliminate Kaja T'Soni. The asari is still breathing.

All Nichols wants to do is get out of prison and finish his job. Maybe then he can go back to Eclipse or another Terminus System merc group. He doesn't care which one as long as he can get paid for hurting people. There has been whispers of either a riot or a prison break, but Jimmy wants in on which ever is going to take place. The time has long past for him to seek his revenge on Kaja T'Soni. Della Appleton has already paid her price for being a narc and killing his cousin, Anika Franzen.

He's still debating what to do about Dr. Cassandra Mitchell. All they tried to do was get her away from T'Soni, so he could kill her. Things didn't turn out like they planned and because of that he is spending is 'quality years' in prison. He can't blame Dr. Mitchell, but he does blame T'Soni even though every thing went fubar because of Della's actions, not Kaja's.

Rocco, Jimmy's cellmate sits next to him at the table, "So, Jimmy, still trying to figure a way out of this joint?"

Scraping the last bite of applesauce from his tray, Jimmy answers, "Of course, who isn't?"

"True," replies Rocco as he shoves a spoonful of macaroni salad into his mouth. A few bits miss his mouth and stick to his unshaven chin. He smacks the noodle off and shovels another bite into his mouth. He says while his mouth is still full, "I'm hearing things. Things you might want to start paying attention to."

Jimmy looks away while Rocco eats. The short, husky size man is a very sloppy eater with no manners to speak of. Same thing three times a day for the past six years. Rocco gets as much food on his face as in his mouth. "I've been hearing it. I might have a way in. I need to talk to a few people first."

Rocco stays silent and chews his food when a guard walks by their table. Once the guard is out of ear shoot, Rocco says, "I fucking hate that guard. I so much want to shank him" The con points to his chest. "Might want to hurry, I'm hearing it might happen sooner than later."

"I'm already working it, so don't worry. I need to get out and take care of some business," says Jimmy. He takes his tray to dirty dishes area of the chow hall. Instead of rejoining Rocco, Jimmy walks over to another con, Jax Litner.

Jax Litner, leader of the most feared gang in the prison, sits at a table with the several gang members, eating their varren meat sandwich. Lucky for Jimmy, they like him enough to leave him alone. Jimmy never asked to join and Jax never offered, but they do business often. Jax says when Jimmy sits across from him, "Need something, Nichols?" Litner never looks at Nichols, but knows it him.

"Yea, Jax, I was wondering if there is anyway to get me transferred to laundry detail. I've asked the unit supervisor and all that bitch does is laugh at me. Like she does to everyone else." Jimmy hopes Jax can get this done. Litner is the oldest serving inmate in the prison and is very capable of pulling strings for the right price."

"Laundry?" asks Litner. He scans the hall and see why Nichols wants a transfer to laundry. There is a break being planned and it's being planned by people who work the laundry. It seems to Jax, Jimmy wants in on it. "Never mind, I get it. What do you have to offer me? That's a big order and hard to fill."

"I'll give you what you want if you help me get transferred to laundry," replies Jimmy.

A guard walks by the table, looking at Jimmy talking to the gang leader. Jax's eyes follow the guard, but his head never moves. He looks at Jimmy with a smug grin on his scarred lips. "I know you, Nichols, you don't have a dime in your prison account and you steal or trade for everything you have. You don't have enough credits for this job and you don't have anything of value to offer me. Or do you?"

A few gang members circle around Jimmy. "Yea, I'm broke, so what. We've done plenty of business in the past. What's the problem?" asks Jimmy as he shrugs his shoulders. He's starting to feel boxed in and this is not the first time, Jax and his boys make him think they were going to do something to him. They haven't in the past and Jimmy doubts they'll start now.

The guard walks back by the table, "Break it up, NOW!" No one moves. One inmate stares at the guard, daring him to do something to him. They out number him six-to-one. The guard repeats himself, "I said, break it up, NOW!" The guard steps closer to the crowd around Nichols. One inmate takes a half-step to his left then instantly gets put into a stasis bubble along with two other inmates who stepped closer to the guard.

A buzzing sound is heard in the chow hall, every inmate remains where they are with their hands in the air. Doing anything else causes the stasis bubble to appear. Inmates, who get put into stasis bubble go on report and most end up in solitary confinement for forty-eight hours. Those who get put into the stasis bubble too often get transferred to the super-max area of the space station.

The space station has four sections with each section is a stand-alone unit. The Citadel Council commissioned the space station in 2255 to house the galaxy's criminals. The Widow System in the Serpent Nebula was the perfect locations since the Reapers moved the Citadel to Earth's orbit. The only thing in the Widow System is the mass relay. The prison has a mix species fleet protecting it from pirate attacks. If the Boltzmann System wasn't also in the Serpent Nebula, the relay would only function if an authorized ship needed to enter or leave the system

Three sections are the actual prison and each section is a different security level. Level One houses the low risk, non-violent criminals. The inmates in that section usually commit some type of white-collar crime, like fraud or embezzlement. Level Two houses the more violent offenders and the security level is at maximum. Prisoners don't get as much freedom in the Level Two unit as the Level One prisoners, but they get more than the Level Three prisoners, which get none. They are housed in an individual six-foot by eight-foot cell with a tiny table, stool attached to the floor, sink, and toilet The bed is attached to the wall with a thin mattress and pillow. They get one-hour per day recreation time, no visitors, no interaction with anyone or anything in the galaxy. They only see a different guard throughout the day to bring meals, take them to the shower, and to their rec time. The inmates do have access to books via a data pad connected to only the library network. Any inmate who gets caught tampering with the data pad loses their library privileges.

Once you get transferred to Level Three, it's nearly impossible to move back down to Level Two. Level Two prisoners are allowed visitors, to interact with other inmates, and get two-hours of rec time each day. The cells are ten-foot by twelve-foot and house two inmates. Inmates who display good behavior are allowed to watch extranet vids approved by the warden once a month. There is more restrictions in the Level Two unit versus the Level One, but fewer restrictions than Level Three.

Level Four is the civilian unit. It's really a big city with plenty of shopping and entertainment. There is a huge atrium where many families bring their children. With the station being alone in the Widow System, the Council understood there is a need to make the station as liveable as possible. The station holds thousands of inmates and has thousands more living/working there. Each military rotates their units from the station and no guard is stationed there for more than three years. By keeping the guard units fresh, it has led to less corruption with the guards. They don't have the luxury of time to get comfortable with dealing with the population in a negative way.

The buzzing in the chow hall ends once the guards remove the inmates, who got put into stasis. The other inmates are escorted back to their cell block. Jax tells Jimmy as they walk to their unit to come and see him during rec time. During the hour break between lunch and rec time, the inmates are locked in their cells. Most inmates think it the longest hour in the day, sitting in their cells, waiting sixty minutes for the doors to open again. It's torture, pure torture. There isn't anything the con can do about it either. They don't make the rules, the prison warden does and that person is appointed by the Council and serves a five-year term. If the warden does well enough, the warden would get appointed for a second term. This happens very rarely.

The rules are set by politicians and the rules haven't changed since their creation in 2255. A few lawsuits over the years have been filed and every one ended in denial. There hasn't been a new suit in several decades. Most prisoners feel they are treated well. Better than some prisons in their home systems. The old human saying still rings true, you can't please everyone. The inmates get three meals a day, a hot shower, clothing, and a bed to sleep on. The guards are not abusive and if one is abusive, they are relieved of their duty. They are firm, but fair. It's what they are told during their processing when an inmate first arrives at the station.

Rec time varies for each species. The turians tend to go the gym area and spar against each other in hand-to-hand drills. There is also a boxing ring for organized matches between cons. All interaction between the cons is highly supervised. Not only are their guards in the gym with the cons, there is also video surveillance with guards watching the monitors around the clock. They were meticulous when putting in the surveillance cameras, so there are no blind spots anywhere on the station. Even Level Four has surveillance cameras in the public areas.

The salarians tend to hang out in the library reading the limited number of books available for the inmates. New material is hard to come by. There are hundreds of books in the library, there are no actual books. Everything is restricted to data pads and no inmate is allowed an omni-tool. If an inmate gets caught with one, it lands the inmate in solitary confinement for forty-eight hours. Besides the salarians, the volus and a few other species also use the library during their rec time.

There is an area in each unit which looks like an outside yard. There is a half-court for basketball and there are always humans playing basketball every day. Some times a turian will join. It's not a game native to Palaven, but that doesn't keep a few from trying it. This is the area during recreation time Jax and his followers hang-out during their free time. Some play hoops, while others only watch. Today, Jax is watching, not playing.

Jimmy walks over to where Jax is sitting, watching a two-on-two game with one team being turians and the other team being krogan. Jax motions for Jimmy to sit next to him on the bench. "If I decide to help you, Nichols, I have a job for you..." The con looks around for any guards and when he see the two guards on the far end of the yard, he continues. "...once you get out."

"Okay, what's the job?" asks Nichols. The two cons talk while watching the basketball game between the turians and krogan.

Jax and Jimmy both lean back with a fist covering their mouths when they say, "Oh damn," when a krogan attempts an inside move causing the turian to fly in the air. Surprisingly, there is no fighting between the two. The krogan offers his hand to the turian and helps him up. Since the genophage cure, the relations between the two species has improved tremendously over the centuries. It shows in the prison because there are few fights between them.

"You have some business on Elysium?" asks Jax

"Yea, I do." answers Jimmy. He watches the krogan shake hands with the turians then both groups leave the court to give it to the six humans waiting to play.

"Follow me, Jimmy. We can walk and talk," comments Jax as he gets off the bench and starts walking around the yard. Jimmy follows and listens carefully to Jax explain how he is going to help him get off the station and out of the system without getting caught.

Elysium

Detective Kaja T'Soni sits at her desk, filling out a report from the latest case she caught. Her partner, Detective Ben Livingston sits at the desk next to Kaja's. He is also filling out his report for the same case. The suspect is locked up and waiting for transport to the colony's jail to stand trial. They've spent the past forty-eight hours on stake-out, trying to catch the suspect. The past two days are catching up to her and to her partner, Ben. Both detectives want to finish their paperwork and head home, but Kaja can't because she is needed in court in two hours. The asari only needs to give her testimony about another case, then she's headed home for the day.

The unit's commanding officer walks into the squad room. "T'Soni! In my office, now!" orders Captain Richard 'Dick' Tish. His tone sounds angry, but Capt. Tish always sounds angry.

Ben gives Kaja a sympathetic look when he shrugs his shoulders at his asari partner. Others in the room, turn their gaze to the asari, each giving her the same sympathetic look. Every detective in the unit has faced Captain Tish's wraith. No one in the squad likes him and most find his first name fitting. Kaja inhales deeply to calm herself before going into her CO's office. Tish makes everyone's life pure hell and she hopes she hears something soon about her results from the Sargent exam she took over a week ago. As much as she loves working with Ben, she wants away from Captain Tish.

Kaja enters Tish's office, she stand at attention in front of his desk. "You wanted to see me, sir?" The asari feels like she is back on Thessia serving under Matriarch Jilianea.

"Yes, Detective, sit." Captain Tish points to the chair across from his desk. Det. T'Soni sits in the chair. She remains silent, waiting to see what Tish wants or needs from her. She hopes he has news about the results from the exam. "I have some news for you, T'Soni. The desk Sargent is posting who passed the Sargent exam. I wanted to congratulate you myself for having the highest score. So, congratulation, Sargent. The top fifteen people are getting promoted and you'll get your choice of assignment. Top score gets first pick."

Kaja sits in the chair, stunned. Speechless too. She's ecstatic about passing the exam, absolutely stunned she got highest score. "Thank you, sir," says Kaja when she finally manages to say something after several seconds of awkward silence.

The human across from her only grins at the asari, "Have you finished your report, Sargent?"

"No, sir, I have not," says Kaja while covers her mouth while she yawns.

"Don't you have a hearing in a few hours, T'Soni?" asks Captain Tish.

"Yes, sir, I do," replies the asari.

Dick Tish nods at the newly promoted Sargent. "Go home, shower, get cleaned up then head downtown. Talk to the Deputy Chief Perez before you have to be in court. The report can wait until tomorrow. Tell Livingston he can go home too. Good work, Sargent. Congratulations again.

He wasn't sold on having an asari with a bum shoulder in the department. Even though she passes every shooting score requirement without any problems with both pistol and SGM. He has gone over her file thoroughly after he took over for Captain Perez. Detective T'Soni has the unit's highest case closing percentage and the highest gun range scores. Impressive, then he saw the asari doing her job on a daily basis. Her file is impressive enough, but her daily work is even more impressive.

He has noticed her unique ability to dissect a crime scene. T'Soni sees things other detectives miss. It's not because the other detectives are sloppy, she sees little things and more times than not. Those tiny details have made cases. Tish wonders if her military training taught her how to dissect a crime scene or if it's Kaja's decades in the field. Either way, he's glad the department hired her and he hates to lose her.

Kaja gets out of the chair saying, "Thank you, Captain. I felt I did well on it, I didn't expect the highest score." She walks back into the squad room with all eyes on her. She has a smirk on her face when she grabs the jacket hanging off the back of her chair. "Ben, we can head home."

"Good, I'm beat and sleep sounds good. I know that smirk, Kaja. I take it you passed the exam." Ben pushes his chair away from his desk as he gets up. He puts his jacket on and the partners leave the squad room together.

Kaja says, "Yea, I did."

They stop to look at the list the desk Sargent posted. Top name is Detective Kaja T'Soni. Ben smacks his partner on the back. "Top dog. Nice. Drinks on you later, Sarge."

As they depart the building, a few uniform offices clap when Kaja walks by. A few yell out their "Congrats" to her. The attention isn't something Kaja is used to and receiving it causes her to blush. "You bet. I'll see you tomorrow, Ben. I want to stop by the museum to talk to Cass before heading home."

Kaja gets into her car and heads to the museum to talk to Cass. She's not seen her bondmate for over two days. Kaja always makes sure she keeps Cass informed on what she is doing. The messages might be cryptic in nature sometimes. Lucky for Kaja, Cass is understanding even though the boys don't understand why she's gone for days at a time. Karrera doesn't like her father being gone for days at a time either, but does her best to understand. The youth knows Kaja is returning and won't abandon her like her mother did. Cass always tells the kids when Kaja's been in contact. Kaja keeping in constant contact has made things easier on the family, but she feels she's not home enough for them especially Karrera.

Her promotion to Sargent and getting top score should allow her to move behind a desk. That is the perfect situation for her. Not all the desk jobs are day shifts and she needs to take that into consideration. What good does it do for her to move behind a desk if the deck job is second or third shift. The asari parks in the lot next to the museum. Kaja realizes suddenly how tired she is and her day isn't over with yet. Yawning as she enters the museum, T'Soni walks through the museum to the back.

Dr. Cassandra Mitchell walks from the back and runs into Kaja. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't see..." Cass doesn't finish her sentence when she sees the asari she ran into is her wife. Giving Kaja a tight hug then a quick kiss. She grabs Kaja by the arm and leads the asari to the other side of the door. They kiss passionately when the door closes. "I'm happy to see you, sweetie."

Kaja sneaks another quick kiss on Cass' lips before saying, "Not as happy as I am. I got the highest score on the Sargent exam. I can't stay as long as I want to. I need to go home, shower, change clothes, then go downtown. I'm needed in court in a few hours and I was told to talk to Perez about my new assignment."

Cass' face light up with pride when Kaja says she passed her exam and with the top score. "See, you worried about it for nothing. I'm so happy for you. You studied hard for that exam."

A smirking Kaja replies, "Thanks. I gotta go. I love you, Cass. I'll try to be up when you get home."

"I love you too, Kaja. See you when I get home. If you are not up, trust me, I'm sicking the twins on you," teases Cass as she walks Kaja back to the front door.

Laughing at her bondmate, Kaja responds, "Oh, I'm sure you will too. See you later." The asari gets in one more quick kiss before she walks to her car with a pep in her step.

After a quick shower, Kaja changes into a purple suit with yellow pinstripes. It's her nicest and favorite suit and one she only wears when the occasion calls for it. Testifying in court without returning to work is one of those occasions. Looking in the mirror, the asari notices how tired she looks. She's getting a second wind since taking her shower. Sitting, waiting for the prosecutor to call on her to take the witness stand will suck any remaining energy she has left. Being up for two days is taking it toll on the detective. Glancing at the bed as she walks past it, Kaja thinks it's looks very inviting. However, duty calls and Kaja always does her duty to the best to her ability. She checks to see if her case notes are still on her omni-tool, they are. She's afraid she might forget which case she is testifying about.

The newly promoted Sargent grabs a banana before leaving the house. She gets in the skycar and heads downtown to talk to her former CO, Deputy Chief Perez, about her new assignment. Luck is with the asari today. After talking to Perez, Kaja crosses the street from the Police HQ to the courthouse. The prosecutor is talking to his assistant when Kaja walks by. He informs Sargent T'Soni the suspect took the plea deal, so they don't need her to testimony today.

Kaja is elated, she can go home and get some sleep before her bondmate and kids get home from work or school. She thinks about which position to take during the drive home. There is an opening at the Academy for an instructor. Chief Perez thinks Kaja is the perfect person to fill it. One of the classes she would teach is how to dissect a crime scene. There isn't another cop on the force who can dissect a crime scene like T'Soni. The other position keeps her on the streets and away from home more, but that position has piqued her interest, running an undercover squad.

With Kaja's dossier, those are the two positions, Perez wants to move her to. T'Soni knows Cass will want her home daily. She worries being an instructor at the Academy won't fulfill her like being undercover would. Kaja wonders what her father would do in her situation? Now isn't the time to put serious thought into her decision. She wants to talk to Cass first and she is too tired to think clearly on the subject.

Once, she gets back home, Kaja hangs her suit back up and puts on a IPD t-shirt with a pair of shorts. She flops on the couch and turns on day-time trivia game show. The questions are mostly useless trivia and some are very obscure questions which usually yields a wrong answer. Kaja falls asleep during the first commercial break and sleeps soundly until her family comes home.

–

A/N: New multi-chapter for you. I will post one chapter a week. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, trust me, plenty more to come.

Yes, I know some of you want more, but I don't have this story completed yet. I have jury duty starting tomorrow and if I get selected to serve on a case, there will not be a new chapter next week. I won't have time to work on it if I'm at the courthouse all day. I work nights.

I should have started this story next week, but forgot about jury duty when I said I would post it this week. Hopefully, I'm not needed for a case and can go home tomorrow and start working on the chapter I'm not quite done with.

If I don't post next week, I will on 4 March. Promise.


	2. Chapter II

Chapter II

Kaja is sound asleep on the couch when two rambunctious six-year-old boys run into the house saying, "Momma's home! Momma's home!" Both boys pounce on Kaja, waking the asari. Cass watches the boys wake Kaja from the doorway. The human has a big smile on her face. Both Eric and Derek miss their momma when Kaja is away working. The asari pretends she is still asleep then suddenly grabs both boys and hugs them tight. They both squeal in delight and hug their momma.

Eric has light brown hair, Derek has dark brown hair. Both boys have brown eyes. They're fraternal twins. Eric says, "I've missed you, momma."

Kaja hugs her son tight before saying, "I missed you too, Eric. Same goes for you, Derek." She hugs Derek. The asari smirks at her smiling bondmate, "Hi, Cass."

Derek squeals again when he receives his hug. He removes a picture he made at school from his bag and hands it to Kaja. "I made this for you, momma."

Kaja feels a prideful tear appear in her eyes when she looks at the picture. Derek isn't the best artist and he did his best to make the asari in his painting look like her. The asari in the painting has a blueish/white glow around the body like when Kaja or Karrera are using their biotics. He even has a few freckles on the asari's face. There is even a police badge hanging on the belt like how Kaja wears hers. Kaja kisses his cheek, "This is very good, Derek. Thank you." She looks at her other son. "Where's your painting, Eric?"

"I gave it to mom," says Eric as he points to his mother, Cass. She holds the painting so Kaja can see it.

"Well, I think these need to be hung on the fridge, what do you think, Cass?" asks Kaja as she stands to get a closer look at Eric's painting. Eric did the best he could to paint his mother. He has her holding what looks like the Prothean memory shard.

Cass gives Kaja a quick kiss on the lips. "Yes, I agree. We're running out of room, so something has to come down."

Derek says bluntly, "The chores."

Eric joins his brother in saying, "The chores."

Kaja covers her mouth while she yawns and chuckles at the same time, "Even if we took the chores down, you'd still have to do them."

"Ah, momma," says Eric with his best looking pout. His lower lip sticks out as far as he can manage.

Derek finishes Eric sentiment, "That's not fair."

Cass grins at her sons. "Life isn't fair, Derek. You'll understand more when you're older." The human kisses her wife again then removes the picture from Kaja's hand and puts them on the refrigerator.

Kaja finally notices Karrera didn't come home with Cass and the twins. She asks, "Where's Karrera?"

"She's still at school. Remember, she has a debate meet today," answers Cass when she walks back to the living room. The archeologist sits in a chair and puts her feet on the foot stool. "Jasmine's mom is bringing Karrera home after the meet."

"Oh, I did forget," replies Kaja with a heavy sigh. She kneels down before the boys. "Please, go outside and play before dinner. I need to talk to your mom."

Eric hugs his momma before asking, "You leaving again?"

Kaja puts a goofy smile on her face, a finger to her lip, and pretends to think about her son's question, "No, Eric, not tonight. Maybe in the future, but not tonight. Is that okay with you?" She tickles his belly which causes him to start giggling.

Eric nods his head with a big happy smile on his face. "Yes, because I like having you home, momma."

"I like being home too," replies the asari. As soon as those words flowed effortlessly from her lips, Kaja knows which position to take at work. The one that allows her the most time with her family. This is one promotion she feels she actually earned by her own merit. "What about you, Derek?"

Derek gives Kaja a serious look. "You're catching the bad people when your gone, right?"

The detective hugs her son. "I try to." She decides to tease Derek some with her question. "So, you'd rather I catch bad people then be home with you?"

Cass raises an eyebrow when she hears Kaja's question to Derek. Then she hides a chuckle when she watches his reaction to it. Derek suddenly starts shaking his head, "Noooooo, momma. I like it when you're home."

Eric takes his and his brother's bags to their bedroom. When he comes back to the living room, he tags his brother's arm. "You're it," says Eric as he runs outside, laughing.

Derek looks at his momma. He runs after Eric when Kaja motions to him to go play with his brother. The young human hugs Kaja again then follows his brother. Cass holds the backdoor open when she sees Derek with a determined look on his face to find Eric. Playing hide-n-seek is one game the boys love to play together and some times their older asari sister plays with them. Cass stands at the door and watches her sons play.

Kaja joins Cass, watching the boys play. Wrapping her arm around Cass' waist, Kaja moves a few stains of brown hair from Cass' neck and kisses the human's neck. "Goddess, how I've missed you." Kaja starts yawning again. She is still tired and is going to try to stay up to her normal bedtime for a work night, but isn't sure if she'll make it through dinner.

Cass turns to face her wife. She runs her finger tips across Kaja's cheek. "I've missed you too. So, sweetie, what did Chief Perez say?"

Leaning in closer, Kaja lips attach themselves to Cass' lips while their tongues duel in harmony. Their bodies press tighter against each other. As much as the couple wants to lose themselves in the moment, they can't. The asari takes a half-step back, smiles at her bondmate, then says, "There is an opening at the Academy. The next class starts a week from Monday. Or I can lead one of the undercover units. Which I would start this coming Monday and I wouldn't be home much."

The asari detective looks out the window, watching Derek and Eric wrestle around on the ground, laughing, giggling, enjoying themselves. Kaja leans her head against Cass' shoulder, "I've already made my mind up. I'll take the opening at the Academy. It will give me the most time with you and the kids. I'll let Perez know tomorrow."

"Kaja, why don't you go to bed. We both know your exhausted," comment Cass as she reaches up to caress her wife's cheek.

"I am exhausted, but I want to stay up at least through dinner. Will Karrera be home by then?" asks Kaja. She kisses Cass' cheek then sits at the table, watching the boys roughhouse in the backyard. "Look at them." Kaja points outside.

Cass opens the backdoor to yell at the twins to be careful and stop the roughhousing. The boys stop when they hear their mom's voice, but go right back to wrestling around on the ground as soon as she shuts the door. Kaja watches from the table, shaking her head. "They listen for about two seconds then go right back to doing what they were told not to."

Kaja goes outside to get the boys to stop the rough play before one of them gets hurt. The last thing either one needs is to accidentally hurt the other. There is a swing set which rarely gets used. The twins seem content on wrestling around on the ground or playing a game where they run around and chase each other. Once the school term ends next month, Kaja and Cass plan on replacing the swing set with a big fort/castle structure designed to allow kid's imagination flow.

The boys do as Kaja tells them and stop the rough playing. Eric starts swinging on the swing set while Derek slides face first down the slide. The tired asari returns inside and again sits at the kitchen table. Cass has started making a quick dinner. Spaghetti with meat sauce with garlic bread. "Karrera is home, she's in her room," says Cass as she looks over her shoulder at Kaja when she sits down.

"No, I'm not. Hi, dad. Glad you're home," says Karrera when she enters the kitchen. The young asari hugs her father then sits next to Kaja.

Kaja pats Karerra on the back, "So, tell me about your debate today."

A big bright smile appears on Karrera's face. "We as a team won our debate and I won my topic. Too bad Jasmine lost her debate, by just one lousy point. I thought she should have won, but the judging panel disagrees."

"Karrera, that sounds wonderful. Well, except for Jasmine. When is your next meet?" asks Kaja. She squeezes her daughter's shoulder.

"In two weeks. I have to write a rebuttal about seating at graduation before the next meet. The debate is for and against sitting in alphabetical order. The first debater argued for sitting in alphabetical order and why it should stay that way. I need to argue why we should sit where we want, within reason." Karrera smiles at her dad.

Cass turns to face the two asari sitting at the table. "Karrera, will you please get your brothers from outside. Dinner is about ready. Tell them to clean-up before coming to the table."

Karrera gets up from the table while saying, "Sure." Since the youth found her father, she is blossoming into a smart thoughtful young asari. One who wants to attend college and become a lawyer so she can help children like her. There are three universities she has applied to and is still waiting to hear back from them. University of Serrice on Thessia is her first choice. She hopes they will accept her. Her grandmother and aunt both graduated from there, so she doesn't see it as a problem.

The young asari has one more term to complete before graduation. She filled out her applications a term early, so she can get a head-start on being accepted for the spring term. Karrera only has two classes next term, so her school councilor recommend she take a course at the local university. She has yet to mention this to her parents. She plans on telling them when she figures out which course she should take. The councilor assures her the university will allow her to take any freshman level class.

Kaja helps Cass by setting the table and filling everyone's glass with ice tea. "I never thought Karrera would like public speaking when we first met, but she does and she's good at it. Look how much she's grown since she's been with us. I still wish I had known sooner."

"I know you do. I do too." Cass brings over two plates for the twins.

Kaja grabs the other three plates, while Cass gets the bread out of the oven, cuts it into slices, then puts the bread on a plate. Karrera and the twins enter the kitchen and sit in their usual spot at the table. Cass inspects the boy's hands before they sit down and Derek needs to wash his again. Eric sits next to his big sister, Karrera who sits to Kaja's right. Cass sits at the other end with Derek to her right. Everyone starts eating and the kids start talking about their day at school with Kaja telling them about her new promotion and position.

* * *

Widow System

Jimmy Nichols sits next to Jax Litner at a table with a few salarians. Each species has their own cliques. Usually, most species get along without much trouble between them based on which species they are. If there is trouble, it's because someone didn't pay a debt or stole something from someone. With the stasis bubble that lock someone in place at a moment's notice, there are not many fights between prisoners.

Derk, the computer expert, who is serving eight-to-fifteen for cyber-theft, eyes Jimmy before saying, "So, I hear your nemesis is related to mine." Normally, white-collar criminals serve their time in Level One, but Derk made a few bold statements then had to back them up. By backing them up, he ended up in Level Two.

Jimmy keeps a blank look on his face. He's seen the salarian around the unit before but doesn't know him nor has met him before today. "Is that so? She does have two sisters. Which one do you hate? The one who runs her own business or the actress?"

"The computer guru. Did you know her company handles all the cyber security for this prison?" asks Derk. The salarian grins then nods to Jimmy and Jax.

Jax smacks Jimmy on the arm, "I told you, he can help."

"No, I didn't know that. So, I take it you worked for T'Soni?" asks Jimmy. He is liking what he is hearing. Someone else who can't stand the T'Soni family.

Derk nods to Jimmy. "Yes and Dr. T'Soni is the reason I'm in this hell hole. The asari bitch caught me siphoning credits from a Council account putting them into a dummy account which I was using to funnel the credits into my account. It was the perfect set-up until she started going through accounts and found there was credits missing from a Council account. I had been doing it for almost a year and had enough credits sitting for me to live without much worries for a while and I was about to quit working when I got arrested."

The mono-toned commuter voice comes over the speaker. "You have five minutes before lock-down. Head to your cells." Every con in the prison hates hearing that voice. The Level Three cons hear it the least because they are in lock-down for twenty-three hours a day. The other two levels, they hear that voice several times a day. Some cons would rather hear a computer voice than have the guards yelling at them.

If the prisoner doesn't start moving towards their cell, the guards will come down on them. Lolly-gag enough and you sit in solitary for twenty-four hours. Most prisoners follow the rules without much complaining. There are always a few who feel the need to test a guards resolve and end up in the hole for forty-eight hours. Most don't want to end up being transferred to Level Three, so they get into enough trouble to stay in Level Two then behave long enough to have the past offenses removed.

Every six months the prisoners get a review on their behavior by the prison staff. After each review, the prisoners past minor offenses are still in their file, but no longer count towards a forced transfer to the next security level. Habitual fighting guarantees a convict's transfer to the next security level. Which is why Drek is in Level Two with violent people like Jimmy Nichols. One too many fights over the three years he spent in Level One.

Drek starts to head to his cell when he says, "We'll finish this tomorrow. Seeing you, Nichols, has piqued my interest. Maybe we can do business."

Jimmy nods while replying, "I hope so."

The inmates head to their cells for the night. After lock-down, the convicts get another hour with the lights on before they are turned off until 0545. The same boring routine every day does different things to different people. For some, having a routine is the best thing for them. They have structure and they enjoy it. Most hate having the same routine day after day and desperately want to do something to change it. There is no way a con is every going to change their routine in a positive way. The only thing they can do is change how they do things and hope the guards don't mind. Or the other cons.

Jimmy Nichols climbs to his bunk and lies on his back staring at the ceiling. Rocco is brushing his teeth. The man is a messy eater, but he keeps his teeth as clean as possible. Jimmy swears Rocco brushes his teeth four or five times a day. The toothbrushes the prison provides are so tiny, it's impossible to make a shank from it. Jimmy ignores Rocco's complaint about how small the toothbrushes are when he starts up again after rinsing his mouth out.

The only thing on Jimmy's mind is getting off this station and find a way to get to Elysium and finish what he started two decades ago. He knows two things. Kaja T'Soni lives on Elysium and is a cop. Her leaving the military to become a cop makes Jimmy chuckle to himself. He always feels a little satisfaction knowing the ammo they loaded all the weapons with was modded and put T'Soni in the hospital for almost a week. At times Jimmy is conflicted. He wished Anika had killed T'Soni, but if that had happened, he wouldn't get the pleasure of plotting and executing her death himself. An evil scowl appears on Jimmy's face when he starts planning on how he is going to remove the asari from the galaxy.

The next day, Jimmy goes through the motions like it's any other day, but he's hoping the salarian comes up with some type of plan soon to get off the station. For some reason, Jimmy thinks the salarian already has a plan in place and wonders if there is a spot for him. Derk seems pleasant enough and has a grudge against a T'Soni sister, so that is a plus in Jimmy's book. After the morning meal, Jimmy goes to his job in the prison.

As he mops the one of the many hallways he mops on a daily basis, Derk and another salarian with a guard walk by. Derk pretends to trip and falls into Jimmy, causing him to drop his mop. The salarian quickly stuffs a note into his back pocket as he picks up the mop. "Excuse me. I didn't see you."

Jimmy nods to Derk. "Pay more attention next time." He goes back to mopping the hallway. The human hopes the cameras didn't catch Derk putting something into his pocket. The guard didn't see it, but the cameras catch everything. When they designed the prison and set-up the cameras, they made sure there are no blind spots in any hallway. He finishes mopping the hallways then moves to inmate processing area. There are no inmates being process at the moment. Every day, he mops the floor before the new inmates arrive.

Once Jimmy finishes with his job, he goes back to his cell to look over the note he received from Derk. He wants Jimmy to come to his cell during their free time after dinner. That's all the note says, but Jimmy again hopes this pans out. He desperately wants to finish his job and take out T'Soni, but hiring someone to do the job didn't work out very well. He's serving more time because of it. A lesson he won't ever forget. If you want a job done right, do it yourself.

The day drags on longer than normal. The boring daily routine makes the days seem longer than they really are, but with Jimmy looking forward to meeting with the salarian after dinner. It seems this day will never end. During his recreation time, Jimmy goes to the gym to use the exercise equipment. He's trying to clear his head and not dwell on Kaja T'Soni. The more he thinks about the asari, the more he wants her dead. It eats at him because he is unable to get to her. Not while he is still locked up.

Derk sits on the stool next to the small table in his cell. Jimmy knocks on the door jamb, "Mind if I come in?" The salarian waves for the human to enter his cell and he has his friends keep an eye out for the guards while Derk and Jimmy plan their escape. "Let me ask you this, how did Jax know you were the one to talk to and not the the laundry crew?"

"The laundry idiots are nothing but a distraction. They just don't know it." A smug smile appears on Derk's face. "Jax knows everything, Nichols, you of all people should know this. Besides I need your help to get into the janitorial closet." Derk keeps one eye on Jimmy and the other on the door. The last thing they need is for a guard to overhear what they are saying. There are plenty of camera, but very few record any audio.

Jimmy gives the salarian a confused look. "Why do you need access to the closet? There's nothing in there but cleaning shit."

"Because there is an access panel I can splice into and shut down systems to make it easier to escape. Day after tomorrow when you're mopping the hallway, put something in the door to keep it slightly ajar. The laundry idiots plan on their attempt in two days." Derk pauses when he sees a shadow on the floor moving closer to the door. He shuffles some cards to make it look like they are playing card when the guard walks by. Derk deals ten cards each when the guard makes a second pass.

The turian guard peeks his head inside the cell. "What's going on in here?"

The salarian answers, "We're playing a friendly game of a salarian version of gin rummy."

The guard replies, "Out Nichols. If you're going to play cards do it at one of the public tables. Not in here where it looks like your plotting something."

A smirk appears on Nichols' face. He hands the cards back to Derk. "Alright. I'm going. Thanks, Derk for the lesson. I still suck, but maybe you can continue to teach me."

"Sure, no problem," says Derk when he takes the cards from Jimmy's hand.

Jimmy leaves Derk's cell. The turian guard goes back to walking around the unit making sure no one is doing anything they shouldn't be doing. Derk also leaves his cell and sits at a table closest to his cell. Two other salarians join the computer hacker at the table and wait to see if Jimmy decides to return and chat more or wait until a better time. Jimmy is smarter than he looks. The human goes and starts talking to other human inmates.

Derk watches Jimmy from across the room. He wonders if the human remembers his uncle, Doren, who worked for Eclipse and was killed when the Council sent in a Spectre to deal with the merc group twenty years ago. Derk wants to help Jimmy for two reasons. One, he wants to pay Dr. Olivia T'Soni back by escaping using her systems to do it. Two, Jimmy worked with his uncle and Derk wants a little pay back for his death. If Jimmy is successful, it will hurt Dr. T'Soni even more.

The mono-toned voice comes over the speakers telling the inmates they have five minutes until lock-down. Grumbling is heard throughout the unit. In the real world, it's still early. In prison, it's getting close to bed time. Derk has one day to get Jimmy up to speed on his plan. He's the one who talked the laundry crew into an attempt. They think Derk is going to shut down the systems to aid in their attempt. He isn't, he's going to set off alarms on the laundry end of Level Two and shut down systems in the hanger bay where visiting shuttles dock. Derk knows there is an IT tech from SecureTech scheduled to do maintenance on the prison's Level Two systems in two days.

Derk like Jimmy desperately wants off the station too, so they can get their revenge against a T'Soni sibling. Unlike Jimmy, Derk is happy to humiliate Olivia, he doesn't want her dead. He thinks she has a big head and is way too cocky for an asari her age. All the salarian wants to do is escape using his knowledge of the prison's systems because he worked for her and by using Olivia's company and her employee to leave the system. It's the perfect plan. The question remains, can they pull it off? He'll know in two days.

–

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I have more to come.

Thanks to everyone who reviews/faves/put my work on alerts. You people rock. Well the last of the DLC is soon. MP DLC is tomorrow. Maybe I'll get influenced again with the new kits and write another story between Marcy Thomas and Leia Shepard. I would expect a story about their sniper contest with Garrus included after this story is completed.

The SP DLC is next week and it's also been one year since ME3 was released. I have enjoyed the ME3 DLC very much. Even though I've read many complaints about Omega. Maybe just maybe, the Citadel DLC will make me want to do my run with Miranda as the LI. It's the only ME3 romance I have not seen. Well, I've not done Thane's either, but I don't see a point of importing a LI who dies at the 1/3 mark of the game and it's not preventable.

See everyone next week. Stick around for this ride, it's a little bumpy for more than one T'Soni family member.


	3. Chapter III

Chapter III

Jimmy mops the hallway Derk wants him in when the power in their area goes dark. Today is the day the IT tech is scheduled to arrive and the laundry area is supposed to make their escape attempt. Derk assures Jimmy, they'll get off the station on the shuttle and out of the system with no problems. Nichols notices Derk sneaking away from the group and duck inside the closet, so Jimmy keeps mopping the floor. The guard and other inmates pass through a door leading to another hallway. Suddenly, the lights in the hallway go dark, two doors unlock, while the other doors remain locked. Derk overloaded a few systems, the vid surveillance and the doors leading to the hallways between them and the shuttle bay.

Derk runs towards Jimmy, pointing to the hallway to Jimmy's right. The human ducks into the hallway and peeks through the unlocked door. There isn't a guard in sight, so they take off running towards the shuttle hanger. The alarms in the laundry area goes off and it puts every guard in Level Two on full alert. Their attention is on the laundry section instead of the shuttle bay. Three humans with a lone salarian run right into a small guard unit in full riot gear. Another four humans are restrained in stasis bubbles.

The laundry crew runs the other way and quickly notice there is no way out when two more humans are put into stasis. The salarian mumbles something about being set-up by Derk. The human and salarian not in stasis give themselves up without a shot being fire. The humans glare at the salarian. He whispers the salarian better watch his back while the salarian wants Derk's head on a platter for lying to them.

The IT tech is frantic about fixing the down systems. He is attempting a system reboot, but nothing is coming back online. He's on the station to do routine maintenance on the systems, not fix a sabotage. Ian only has to reroute power from one server to another to get the systems in the north section back online. He's giving Derk time to get to the shuttle. If the salarian isn't on the shuttle when he's done, he'll get left behind.

Ian McDermott is willing to look the other way if someone is on the shuttle and not turn them over, but he isn't going to go out of his way to make sure Derk gets off the station. He will give Derk a few minutes to do what he needs to do. He owes the salarian and this is the only way Ian can pay Derk back. A human guard runs into the server room, "We have outages all over the unit. We need them back online, NOW!"

Ian thinks time is up on Derk and his plans to get off the station. The IT tech says, "I know, I know, I'm working as fast as I can. I was only here to do routine maintenance, not a major reboot."

"We have chaos in a few areas and everything is dark. At least get the cameras and lights back on ASAP!" yells the guard. His orders are to stay with the tech until everything comes back online and not a second before.

"I'm trying." Ian starts to shake. They're going to get caught, he just knows it. The last thing he wants is to end up being a resident. He hits a few buttons and the audio and video equipment come back online. Next thing Ian reboots is the main frame Derk overloaded. "Shit!" exclaims Ian when only a few systems reboot.

The guard asks, "What's the problem?"

Ian is frantic, Derk fried two different processors and the main frame is only running at forty percent. The camera and audio work, but the system isn't recording anything. He doesn't have another main frame on his shuttle to exchange it. "Sixty percent of the main frame isn't rebooting and I don't have the equipment with me to fix it."

"What can you fix?" asks the guard. He's ready to get on his comm and let his superiors know there is still a problem with the systems.

Sighing, Ian hits a few more buttons to run a diagnostic program to see if he can fix the problem or if he needs to contact his supervisor about getting someone to bring him what he needs. He is not liking what the reading is saying. "Nothing, I need to contact my boss about getting a new main frame here ASAP," says Ian when he takes his eyes off his omni-tool to look at the guard. The guard gets on his comm and informs his supervisor the situation in the server room. Ian contacts his boss, Dr. Olivia T'Soni.

Meanwhile, Derk is leading Jimmy to the shuttle bay. So far, so good. No guards in sight and the area is still dark. The salarian knows they need to hurry. He might have fired a few systems, but Ian is supposed to reroute them and get them back online in a timely manner and Derk thinks their window for success is closing fast. "Come on, Jimmy, through this door."

They go through the door to see four guards with flashlights on the end of their rifles scanning the area. The two cons hide behind a crate. Derk peeks around the crate to see one guard motioning to the others to check the far side of the hanger. Jimmy ducks low, removes his shoes, then slowly moves between crates. The human keeps an eye on the four guards with every step. Derk follows Jimmy lead and also takes off his shoes.

The two cons move closer to the shuttle when a guard turns around and points the flashlight in their direction. Jimmy is behind a pillar and hopes he doesn't cast a shadow. Derk lies flat on the floor behind a small crate. He also hopes the guards don't see a shadow. The human moves once the hanger gets dark. He watches the guards leave the hanger, heading to another area to check. Jimmy whispers as Derk tries an old access code, "What makes you think it will work?"

The shuttle door opens, the two cons quickly get inside the shuttle and shut the door. Derk locks the shuttle down. The salarian grins, "T'Soni is complacent. All the shuttles used the same access number. You'd think after all this time, she'd change them."

"Or your buddy changed it so you can get in," replies Jimmy. He sits down and puts his shoes back on. "Now what?"

"Point taken. That is a possibility. We wait. We also need to hide." Derk opens a few holds looking for a place big enough for them both. Then he hits the floor with his heel and a click is heard. The floor tile slowly moves, revealing a storage area underneath the floor. Derk gets on his knees and looks inside the area. It's empty. "Perfect. Get in."

"Fuck you, I'm not getting in there," replies Jimmy.

Derk grabs Jimmy by the collar, "Look, Nichols, you want off this shit hole? If you do then get your ass in there. It's the only place to hide."

Jimmy starts grumbling about getting in a tight space. He doesn't like tight spaces. The cells used for solitary confinement are small enough and he barely handles being in those cells alone. This is small and tighter with another person next to him. "How long do we have to stay in here?" asks the human as he gets into the storage area.

"Hopefully, not long. Why? Claustrophobic, Nichols?" asks Derk.

"A little, I don't like tight spaces," replies Jimmy. He sits away from the trap door. "What gets stored down here?"

Derk climbs in and closes the door. He double checks to make sure he can reopen it at will. "Bigger pieces of equipment. Either Ian didn't need any or removed it so we had a place to lay low.

Talking in hushed tones, Jimmy asks, "Why is Ian helping?"

"Because he owes me. I got caught, but Ian was also in on the scam. I left his name out of it and told him he owed me a huge favor. I'm cashing it in," replies Derk. He puts his finger to his lips to let Jimmy know to remain silent. The salarian thinks he hears people talking outside the shuttle.

Ian opens the shuttle door with a guard by his side. He turns on the shuttle's light, so the guard can see he does not have the equipment he needs to complete the job. Dr. T'Soni is sending two more techs to exchange the main frame. She also instructed Ian to return to the Citadel as soon as possible. Which puts a kink in their plans, Ian knows Olivia will check the shuttle's navigation for any stops between the prison and Citadel. She'd catch any attempt at tampering with the shuttle logs. He'd rather not take two escapees to the Citadel if at all possible.

Jimmy and Derk remain still and quiet. Jimmy can see the guard above him and hopes the guard doesn't look down. The human glares at Derk. They're going to get caught, he can feel it. Jimmy closes his eyes and calms his breathing. He feels like he can hear his heartbeat and if he can hear it, maybe the guard will hear it too.

Ian and the guard exit the shuttle. The lights go back off and the door closes. Jimmy exhales the breath he didn't know he was holding. "That was too close, Derk."

"I know. Lucky for us the guard didn't do any type of scan. Fuck me. I just thought of that. If Ian takes too long, they will miss us. Then they'll scan the shuttle for bodies." Jimmy remains silent. He glares at Derk.

Ian is still in the hanger, communicating with Dr. T'Soni. She is furious because Ian doesn't have the equipment on his shuttle. He tries his best to explain why he doesn't have the main frame. Olivia calms down when she realizes Ian deals with software, not hardware. He doesn't carry much hardware on his shuttle. She still wants him to return to the Citadel as soon as he leaves the space station.

Ian turns to the guard, saying, "Here, take this." He hands the guard a data pad. "I've left details about the problems with the main frame for when the hardware guys show up. I have to go."

The guard takes the data pad. He looks it over and understand maybe a tenth of what Ian wrote down. "How long before they get here?"

"I would say two or three hours. Look, I can't fix it. I deal with software and that main frame is fried," says Ian.

The guard nods he understands to the tech before he turns on heel and leaves the hanger. Ian enters the shuttle, turns all systems on. Contacts the controller to receive permission to leave the station. The two cons in the storage compartment are lucky. Because Derk fried the main frame, the unit the cons are assigned to is still without power and they won't have any power until the next IT crew arrives. Jimmy and Derk are not missed, yet.

Prison control opens the hanger, it's a system Derk didn't fry. Ian pilots the shuttle out of the hanger, heading to the mass relay. Ian doesn't check to see if Derk is on the shuttle until they jump through the relay. Ian ignores the hail from the small fleet and keeps flying. He keeps getting a warning they will fire at the shuttle if he doesn't turn around and allow a team to board the shuttle. The fleet around the prison has authorization to fire upon any vessel deemed a security risk.

As of this moment, the SecureTech shuttle is being considered a security risk. The guards in Level Two have finally gotten all the prisoners back into their cells and have done a head count and two people are missing, Derk and Jimmy. The software tech says a prayer, hoping the shuttle's kinetic barrier holds until they make the jump. A warning shot is fired over the shuttle. Ian keeps going. Only a few more seconds and they'll reach the relay.

A second shot is fire hitting the shuttle's kinetic barrier. The barrier holds and the shuttle reaches the relay before the second shot hits the shuttle. Just like that, the SecureTech shuttle makes the jump through the relay. Instead plotting a course to the Citadel, Ian heads to Omega. He feels it's the safest place for them split up and head their separate ways. Ian turns on the auto-pilot, deactivates the tracking signal by cutting the wire, then goes to check on Derk. Hitting the floor latch with his heel, Ian shakes his head at Derk.

"Dammit, Derk. They know you're gone. Who the fuck is that?" asks Ian when Jimmy exits the storage area in the floor. Ian takes a few steps backwards with his palms facing forward as a precaution.

Jimmy gets into the tech's face, "Who I am isn't important. Where are we going?"

Ian feels a coldness radiating from Jimmy, it causes his hands to shake. "Ahhhh...Omega. I can't dump this shuttle in Council Space."

"Good. Hopefully, I still have some contacts on Omega," replies Jimmy as he sits in a seat.

Derk smacks Ian on the shoulder, "You did good, Ian. Omega is an excellent destination."

Jimmy Nichols sits, watches, and wonders if he is better off killing them both. Derk is helpful, but Jimmy only needed him to get him off the station. The salarian has done that. The human, Ian, he's a loose end. Jimmy doesn't want to leave any loose ends. The first thing Jimmy plans on doing once they reach Omega is to change his identity. He's a wanted man and in order for him to move semi-freely on Elysium, he has to change his name and how he looks.

Neither Derk or Ian is paying attention to Jimmy as he goes through a few of Ian's bags. He finds a nice pocket knife designed for industrial use. Jimmy leans against the bulkhead and listens to Ian whine about losing everything he has because Derk's plan didn't go as expected. The escaped convict moves behind Ian and grabs him from behind and presses the blade against his neck. Jimmy's demeanor and tone are bone chilling cold. Feeling Ian's body tremble in terror, Jimmy whispers into the tech's ear, "You scared?" Ian nods his head in response, his eyes are wide open and show nothing but terror. Jimmy whispers again, "Because you should be." The convicts eyes are on the salarian, waiting to see how he responds.

Derk blinks several times rapidly. The salarian waves his hands, pleading, "Jimmy, don't kill him."

Hearing Derk say his name is all Jimmy needs to hear for him to slit Ian's throat. He lets the bleeding man drop to the floor then grabs Derk by the shoulder sinks the blade into his upper abdomen. Jimmy knows enough about salarian physiology to know he hit something vital. He pulls the blade from Derk and lets the salarian bleed out on the floor next to the human, Ian. The green and red blood pool together into a brownish pool on the shuttle's floor.

Jimmy wipes the blade off on Derk's shirt then checks to see how far they are from Omega. He has about two hours before they reach the asteroid station. He searches the shuttle for another set of clothes and finds a bag with several days worth of clothes. He grabs it and pressurizes the cockpit. Opening the shuttle door, everything that isn't tied down gets sucked into space. Closing the shuttle door again, Jimmy takes another look through the shuttle's compartments. There are a few things he can sell to make a few quick credits.

Traffic control hails the SecureTech shuttle. Jimmy asks for permission to dock. The shuttle needs some repairs is the reason Nichols gives for the shuttle's unexpected arrival. Jimmy lands the shuttle on deck six. So far, so good. There isn't anyone waiting for him at the docks. He scrounges a few crates, so he can take everything he needs from the shuttle before he has it stripped for parts. After storing what he feels will bring him the most credits, Jimmy uses a public terminal to contact the leader of the Blue Suns.

Jimmy knows a Spectre took out Eclipse decades ago. He is sure that happened because of Kaja T'Soni. She will pay for that too. He doesn't care if T'Soni is the reason or not. He blames her for everything. He knows a few ex-cons he met on the prison station are here on Omega working for the Blue Suns. The escaped convict listens to the Citadel News Network while he waits for his Blue Suns contact to arrive. He is listening for any information about his and Derk's escape.

* * *

Citadel

SecureTech Headquarters

Dr. Olivia 'Liv' T'Soni is in communications with the Widow System Prison authorities. "Excuse me, General, you're saying one of my employees helped two prisoners escape? I am having a hard time believing that, sir."

The turian General responds, "I can't say for certain Ian McDermott helped willingly, but they did escape in your company's shuttle."

"Son-of-a-bitch," mutters Liv under her breath. The asari is furious. She found it odd when Ian contacted her about the fried main frame. Ian didn't mention anything about an escape attempt happening. "General, have my other techs arrived?" Liv needs to know if Ian fired the system to aid the prisoners or if Ian got used.

"Yes, Dr. T'Soni, they arrived a few minutes ago. One of the guards found a janitorial closet open and an access panel on the floor with a few cut wires and spliced wires. We know for certain your tech didn't do that. McDermott was only in the server room and always had a guard with him," replies the General.

Olivia keeps a calm professional demeanor during her conversation with the prison authorities. This is a public relations nightmare that will affect her company for years to come. Most of SecureTech's contracts are with various governments throughout the galaxy. If any of them feel her company is unreliable, they won't renew their contract or cancel their contract all together. Dr. T'Soni has worked too hard to allow a few bad employees to destroy her company. She still writes the most secure cyber software on the market.

The asari grins at the turian, "General, feel free to contact me anytime if there are any more security issues involving my company." She bring her left hand to her forehead and suddenly remembers the salarian she fired a few years ago named Derk Liphurn. "Is one of the escapees named Derk Liphurn, he's a salarian."

"I'm not at liberty to say at the moment, Doctor. I hope you understand. I will be in touch, Dr. T'Soni." The turian's holo disappears and Liv sits in her chair.

Rubbing her forehead, Liv thinks about who she should call first. Her PR firm or her lawyer? "Camelia, contact Drake Zimmerman. I need a meeting with him today if at all possible," orders Olivia from the intercom.

Olivia hopes she can salvage what she considers the worse case scenario for her company. It's something she thought might happen, but never did. Until today. The prison authorities didn't give her the names of the inmates, but she is sure she can get that information from another source. If they don't announce it on the news. From the little details the General told her, she is almost certain Derk is involved. It's something the salarian can do, fry the systems and he would do it to get back at her for firing him and having him prosecuted.

She starts searching through her files looking for some type of connection between Derk and Ian besides both working for SecureTech at the same time. "Goddess, why didn't I fire him when I got rid of Derk. Fuck me." mumbles Liv when she looks through Derk's personal file and the case she had against him. Derk denied any and all involvement when it came to Ian. Ian kept his job because C-Sec cleared him of any wrong doing. Dr. T'Soni now wishes she had fired Ian anyway. Hindsight is always twenty-twenty as the old human saying goes.

Camelia, Liv's assistant opens the office door saying, "Mr. Zimmerman is here, Dr. T'Soni. He was already in the building with another client."

"Good, have him come in, Camelia. Thank you," says Liv as she waves her hand for Drake to enter her office. Dr. T'Soni stands when her attorney, Drake Zimmerman enters her office. She offers her hand to the mid-age human with salt and pepper hair. "Thank you for seeing me so quickly, Drake. I have a big problem and I need to get out in front of it quickly."

Drake sits on the loveseat and puts his briefcase on the small coffee table. "So, Olivia, what is this big problem?" asks Zimmerman as he pulls out a data pad, so he can take notes during their conversation.

Liv rubs her forehead with her left hand while saying, "The Widow Prison had an escape this morning and one of my employees is involved. I don't know what all Ian McDermott did, but they used my company's shuttle to escape. I have someone trying to track the shuttle down, but I've not heard anything yet."

"Why does that name seem familiar?" asks Drake as he types a few notes.

"I thought Ian was involved in the credit siphoning scam with Derk Liphurn. C-Sec cleared Ian of any involvement, so I kept him. I now wish I hadn't even though Ian passed all security checks before I assigned him the prison job." The look of regret is written all over Liv's face.

Over the next few hours, Drake and Olivia discuss the options she has moving forward. He suggests she wait until they know more about what happened with the prison systems and who sabotaged it. It looks better for SecureTech if the saboteur is a prisoner. Derk is quite capable of sabotaging the systems and Olivia knows it. During their conversation, they find out the shuttle's tracking device is offline after the jump through krogan relay. Drake is leaving a two-hour window open between 1100 and 1300 tomorrow if he needs another meeting with Dr. T'Soni. Hopefully in the next twenty-four hours, they'll have more details on what happened. Until then they know more, Zimmerman advices Liv to remain quiet and say 'no comment' when it comes to the media.

After Mr. Zimmerman leaves, Olivia looks at the time and decides she needs a break. Jena, the asari hardware tech Liv sent to the prison is checking in. Liv answers, "What do you have for me, Jena?"

"Breia and I have to run new wires from the main frame to three different rooms. It's going to take us several hours before we're finished. Liv, I know who sabotaged the system and it wasn't Ian. It looks like Derk's work." The asari's holo form moves to see if any one is listening in besides Breia. "He is missing along with a human named Jimmy Nichols. Or I think that's the human's name. I overheard a guard updating another guard on the situation."

Liv's eyes widen and feels a ping in the pit of her stomach when she hears the name Jimmy Nichols. "Shit, this day can't get any worse. Thanks, Jena. Did you have any problems getting through prison security?"

"No problems besides the hardware issues. I promise those will be fixed to our company's standards before we leave. Doc, I'm not hearing anyone here blaming you. Keep you head up, Liv. I'll check in when we're done," replies Jena.

Olivia gives Jena the best grin she can manage. "Thank you, Jena. Tell Breia that as well. Contact me directly." Liv ends the transmission then sits, sighing heavily in her chair. Debating with herself whether or not to contact Kaja about Nichols. The computer expert has a feeling in the pit of her stomach that Nichols will go after either Kaja or Cass. Or worse, the kids. After all he did try and failed to kidnap Cass twenty years ago.

While typing in Kaja's number, Liv gets interrupted by an incoming call from Citadel News Network about the escaped prisoners. They ask several questions which Liv has no comment for. Drake's advice to her is not to talk, so she isn't talking. Besides having other media outlets calling asking for comments, Liv's afternoon is one call after another with bureaucrats. Most want to know how secure is their software and she assures them everything is fine. The Citadel Council has requested she speak with them at 0900 tomorrow to discuss the matter more thoroughly.

By the time the calls stop coming, it's almost 2200. Liv hasn't eaten anything since breakfast and got so busy she never bothered to take a break for lunch. A turian tech in charge of tracking all company vehicles knocks on Dr. T'Soni's door before entering. Mattis knows his boss is still in her office because he sees the lights on and a shadow moving under the door and the building cleaning crew doesn't arrive until after 2200. "Dr. T'Soni, I think I found Ian's shuttle. Or where I think it is. Like I said during your meeting earlier, the tracking signal went dark after it jumped through the krogan relay. But I got few bits of data from the navigation computer and projected his path. It took me all afternoon to pin-point the best I could his destination." The turian opens the galaxy map on a display in T'Soni's office.

Before she even looks the projected jumps points, Liv says, "He went to Omega." Olivia knows if they go to the Terminus Systems, Illium is out because SecureTech has an office there. Jimmy Nichols worked out of Omega before he went to prison. _Goddess, let the authorities find him before he goes after Kaja and her family. I remember the day they sentenced him. I could tell by the look in his eyes, if he ever got out, he would attempt revenge. Shit!_

"Yes, ma'am. Here is a copy of what I found. I hope it's okay for me to go home for the night," comments Mattis as he closes the map down then hands Olivia a data pad.

"Of course, Mattis. Thank you for staying so late. I'm headed home too. Have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow." Olivia gives the turian the best grin she can manage. She contacts Mr. Zimmerman with the information about the possible location to where they went and about her meeting with the Council in the morning. His advice is to forward the information to C-Sec, so she contacts Executor.

This is the roughest day in Olivia's professional life. She's had a few rough days in her personal life. Especially with the human, Tracy Andrews. Even the few bad moments with her on again, off again relationship with Tracy were nothing compared to what she is dealing with professionally. Liv turns off everything in her office, locks the door, then vacates the building. It's been over three years since Liv has spoken to Tracy. For some weird reason, the human is on the asari's mind.

Sitting on a bench waiting for Olivia to finally leave for the night is Tracy Andrews. Liv's posture makes Tracy glad she waited after hearing about the prison break. It's all over the news and Liv's company is being ran though the mud. Talking heads are already saying the Council needs to terminate all contracts with SecureTech. It's obvious an asari Dr. T'Soni's age is incapable of running a security tech company without issues. Which is funny to Tracy because Liv has been in business for over a century without any issues. One employee does one bad thing and the whole company need to go, Tracy thinks that's demanding too much. It's not looking well for SecureTech.

Tracy remains seated while saying, "Hi, stranger." when Olivia walks by, heading towards the taxi terminal.

The asari stops when she recognizes the voice. "Hi, yourself." Sighing heavily and closing her eyes, Olivia wants to go home, but seeing Tracy makes her feel better. There is something about the human and seeing her again after all this time is a blessing. Liv knows Tracy wants more than she can give her, but seeing her at this moment brightens her evening.

"I heard what happened. I'm sorry. Want some company?" asks Tracy. She stands to hug Liv tightly. The human whispers, "I'm here for you, Liv."

Liv returns the tight hug. "Yes, I'd love some company. Thanks, Tracy. I'm glad to see you." Liv does her best to push back the tears she feels forming. If she going to start crying, she'd rather do it in private not in the middle of the Presidium.

"My place or yours?" asks Tracy as she keeps her left arm around around Liv's waist as they walk to Tracy's car.

"Mine. Mind stopping at some place for a bite to eat? I got so busy today, I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. I don't care where, Tracy." Liv finds herself wanting Tracy again. Like every other time they don't see each other for months. This latest time apart so far has been the longest. Liv focuses more on work than her personal life. She doesn't see herself settling down with anyone for several centuries. Tracy has tried more than once to get Liv to work less and enjoy her life more and it never happens. Which is why they broke up again three years ago.

Tracy knows Liv well. The human knows what happened today is gutting her friend and ex-lover. She'll do everything possible to get Liv through this crisis. Having an employee of a security firm help aid with a prison break is a major crisis. Tracy is a civilian code breaker for the Alliance and heard rumors all day at work about the prison break and who is at fault. No one can really say except those involved on what really happened. It sounded to Tracy the system failures where caused by a prisoner not Liv's employee. The human squeezes Liv's waist while saying, "What ever you want, Liv. I'm here. No strings."

Liv cracks a faint smile at Tracy's 'no strings' comment. It's their little running joke since they started seeing each other shortly after Kaja and Cass got married almost two decades ago. "Thanks for being here, Tracy."

"I'll always be here for you, Liv," says Tracy as they get into her car, heading to an out-of-the-way deli close to Liv's apartment. The deli has the best sandwiches in the area and not overly priced. Liv called ahead with their order and Tracy went inside to pick the two steak sandwiches with two cups of broccoli cheese soup. Tracy also grabs a four pack of Thessian ale in pint size bottles. She returns to her car and drives the other two blocks to Liv's apartment.

Olivia wonders why Tracy picked tonight to show up again, but she's thankful Tracy is here. She has missed Tracy's quirky humor and attitude on life. Tracy works hard, but doesn't let work take over personal life. Which is the exact opposite of Olivia. She focuses more on her professional life and her personal life suffers for it. Which is why their romantic relationship is on again, off again. The asari doesn't want to spend the night alone, and is too stressed to ask Tracy to stay the night.

When they get to Liv's apartment, the asari holds the apartment door open for Tracy. The ex-lovers eat their late dinner and only catch up on the small things. Tracy is waiting to see if Liv opens up about what is going on with her company. The human won't press her on it and is only with her as support. Tracy is tired of chasing after Liv, but deep down still loves the asari. If there is anything left between them, Liv has to initiate it. She understands Liv is still young and most asari are not like her mother or even oldest sister, Kaja. Most asari don't settle down and start a family within the first two centuries of their life.

After Liv and Tracy finish their dinner, Liv goes over and turns on the entertainment system and puts on a two-thousand-year old musical piece from Thessia. It's the perfect music with it's soothing tones and upbeat rhythm for Olivia to relax to. Or attempt to relax. She isn't sure if she will ever truly relax again any time soon. Not until this crisis is dealt with. Liv glances at Tracy with tears forming. Tracy is walking in her direction.

Tracy wraps both arms around Olivia and holds the asari close. The human doesn't say anything when Liv buries her face in Tracy's shoulder and starts crying. The only thing Tracy does is hold Liv in her arms and rubs on her back. No words are spoken between them. If Tracy has learned anything from being with Liv, it's let the asari speak when she is ready. There is no pushing Olivia T'Soni into doing anything she does not want to do.

Tracy has no intentions on pushing Liv on anything. She is here for the asari and if that means just holding Liv while she cries and not talking, then that is what Tracy will do. It doesn't look like Olivia is going to talk about what is going on and the human is okay with that. Liv pushes from Tracy's embrace. Tears are still running down Liv's face. Tracy pulls a napkin from the cafe out of her pocket and wipes the tears from the blue cheeks. Olivia looks at Tracy and says, "Thank you, Tracy. I'm not sure why you're here, but I'm glad you are."

The human fights the urge to kiss Liv's blue lips, so she gives Liv a warm smile instead. "You're welcome. I didn't want you to be alone after what happened today. I still care about you. Liv."

More tears run down Liv's face, "I don't know what to say to you, Tracy."

"You don't have to say anything, Liv. I told you three years ago, I would always consider you a friend and I would always be here if you needed it. I meant it. You're the one who cut contact, so I didn't push. I know you need someone with you and I know you won't contact anyone to come over. Not this late on a weeknight. If you want me to leave, I'll go. I'd rather stay and help you through this. You've been on my mind since I heard the news while at work." Tracy wipes the new tears with the damp napkin.

"No, I want you to stay. I...I hate to admit this, but I need you, Tracy. You being here is comforting" Liv walks away from Tracy and stares out the window. "I can't go into any details, but I'm about to lose everything I've worked for since I wrote my dissertation. I've not listen to the news at all today. Does the news mention who escaped?"

Tracy moves behind Liv and holds her close again. "Yes, Liv, they have mentioned who escaped. I know what you're thinking and don't. This isn't your fault and don't worry about Kaja and Cass. They'll be fine."

"I'll never forgive myself if he goes after them, Tracy. You didn't see the look in his eyes when they took him away after sentencing. He will go after Kaja. I know he will. She was his target twenty years ago and I'm sure he's stewed on his failure since." Liv hangs her head and covers her face with her her hands as tears starts flowing and her body starts shaking.

"Come on, Liv, you need to attempt to get some sleep." Tracy keeps her arms around Liv and walks with the asari to the bedroom. Liv changes out of her dress and into her pajamas then climbs into bed. Tracy only removes her shoes before she lies next to the sobbing asari. The human again holds Olivia in her arms. The only words spoken until Liv finally falls asleep are Tracy trying to keep Liv's spirits up by telling to her to keep a positive attitude.

* * *

Elysium

The news about the Widow System Prison missing two prisoners has reached Elysium and most citizens don't give the story a second thought. Dr. Cassandra Mitchell sits on a few crates listening to a radio station playing the newest hits songs, talking with her volus assistant, Dr. Fawe, when the station takes a moment to give some news headlines. The color in Cass' face disappears when Jimmy Nichols name is mentioned as one of two prisoners missing. That is a name Cass had hoped to never hear again.

The volus inhales which everyone within earshot can hear. "You alright, Dr. Mitchell?" Dr. Fawe exhales and everyone can hear that too. "I noticed your reaction to the news story." The light on the volus' suit lights up when he speaks.

"I'm fine, Dr. Fawe. I'm surprised the more secure prison in the galaxy has missing prisoners is all," comment Cass. The human hopes her answer satisfies the volus' curiosity. Cass excuses herself and heads to her office to contact Kaja. Chances are, her wife already knows, but she still wants to talk to Kaja anyway. If Jimmy has escaped, she's worried he'll come to Elysium and attempt to harm her family.

Sargent Kaja T'Soni and her partner Detective Ben Livingston are in their car sitting outside an apartment building, waiting for a suspect to exit the building. There are four other detectives watching the building's other exits. Kaja's omni-tool starts beeping. Answering it, the asari says, "Hey, I can't talk long. Something wrong?"

"That's fine. Have you heard any news from the Widow System?" asks Cass.

A calming grin appears on Kaja's face. She notices how nervous Cass looks. "Yes, I know. Nothing I can do about it now." The suspect exits the building and walks quickly across the street two cars away from Ben and Kaja's car. "Gotta go." She closes her omni-tool and exits the car with her pistol drawn. "Stop right there, Jopes. We have you surrounded."

Ben is off to Kaja's right while the other four detectives come around the building with their weapons drawn. The batarian surrenders without incident by putting his arms in the air. Kaja places her weapon back on her hip, then proceeds to frisk the suspect for any weapons and finds a small knife strapped to his ankle and another on his left wrist. While she frisks the suspects, she also tells him his rights. Which the batarian follows and remains silent.

The squad's newest detective takes over for Kaja and puts the batarian in handcuffs after Kaja finishes frisking him, "I got this, Sarge."

"You got my report too, Detective?" asks Kaja. The older detectives laugh at Kaja's question.

The green detective looks at everyone before looking at Sargent T'Soni. "Ah, I doubt Capt. Tish would like that very much."

Ben shakes his head, laughing at Kaja's replacement. "You're catching on quick, rookie. You and Bacitius can take Jopes in."

The turian, Bacitius nods to Ben, "Sure thing. Come on, Jennings, let's take this asshole to his new home." The turian and human detectives take the batarian suspect to their car.

Kaja puts the two weapons she took off the suspect into separate evidence bags. Handing the bags to Ben, Kaja calls Cass back. "Sorry about that, Cass. I know this much, the space port has his picture and they have heightened the security," says the asari when her bondmate's image appears on the small screen.

"It's okay. I'm worried, Kaja. What if he comes here?" asks Cass. Her tone screams concern and Kaja understands why.

"Cass, I need to go. We'll finish this at home. Please, don't worry. Things will be fine," replies the Sargent with a smirk. Kaja closes her omni-tool then sighs.

Ben asks, "You okay, Kaja?"

The partners walk back to their car. Kaja answers during the walk, "Yes and no. I'm fine but Cass is worried Nichols will come here. Not that I can blame her, Ben."

"Neither can I, Kaja. If he comes here, he'll regret it. I got your back always. Even if you're at the Academy. Don't forget that, Sarge," teases Detective Livingston as they get into the car and head to their police station.

"I'm sure he'll try something, Ben. He's not the smartest guy. He did hire an amateur to kill me on the Citadel." Kaja appreciates Ben's loyalty. Deep down, she doesn't want to have to deal with Jimmy Nichols, but is afraid she is going to have to deal with him. This time around, she's prepared for him. Kaja also has more at stake if something bad happens.

When they return to the squad room, the unit has a news channel on and a few talking heads are debating about how something like this happened. The turian expert starts bad mouthing SecureTech by saying the Council needs to terminate all contracts with the cyber security company. The turian, Bacitius, turns the monitor. "Fuck that guy. They have the best security software. The Council would be foolish to dump them."

After hearing the comments about SecureTech, Kaja wonders how her baby sister is doing. She's probably dealing with things in the professional manner Olivia always deals with things. Pushing her thoughts about Jimmy, SecureTech, and Olivia from her mind and focuses on the task at hand. Filling out her arrest report before picking up the kids from school. Dwelling on things she has no control over isn't good for her mental state and this is one time, Kaja needs to stay on top of her game.

Kaja picks the twins up at their school before picking up Karrera as her school. Cass is home when Kaja and the kids get home. Derek exits the car then waits for Eric to exit before both boys run to the backyard and start playing. Karrera takes her brother's bags into the house and puts them in their bedroom before she heads to her room to start working on her homework.

Cass is in the kitchen watching the twins play. Her eyes are on the boys, but her mind is some place else. The human jumps when Kaja says her name, "Oh, Kaja, you startled me. I'm worried. I need to know they're safe."

"They're safe, Cass. He's not even in the system." Kaja takes Cass into her arms and holds her tight. She kisses her bondmate's cheek. "I'll know if he does show up. Don't worry."

"I can't help but worry, Kaja." Cass takes a half-step back to caress her wife's cheek. "I love you, sweetheart."

Kaja smirks at Cass. "I love you too, Cass. I need to talk to Karrera about being extra careful around people she doesn't know. I'll be right back," says Kaja before she kisses Cass then heads to Karerra's bedroom.

Cass nods her head at Kaja then turns her attention to watching Derek and Eric play on the swing set. She watches Derek go down the slide head first when he gets to the bottom, he turns around, stands up, and does it all over again. _I hope Jimmy stays away. I'm afraid he won't. I can't go through that again. I just can't._ Cass tries hard to push her fears about Jimmy Nichols to the side, but she finds it impossible when she's scared for her boys, for Karrera, and mostly for Kaja. Jimmy seems like a person who will try to seek revenge. Cass wipes the tears forming in her eyes before any one notices them.

Karrera is typing out her debate rebuttal. The young asari wants to do well in her final debate before regionals. She figures doing well for the debate team will look good on her college applications. It is what people are constantly telling her and Karrera hopes it does help her to get accepted to the University of Serrice. Kaja knocks on the door, Karrera says, "Come in."

The older asari peeks her head in the door, "What are you working on, Karrera?" Kaja enters the bedroom and sits on the bed.

"My rebuttal for my next debate. Need something, dad?" asks the youth. She puts the data pad on her desk to give her father her full attention.

"Yes, Karrera. I need to talk to you about something and it's very important you listen to what I'm about to say." Kaja leans forward with her arms on her thighs. Her hands are together. This is a talk she never thought she would need to have with Karrera, but Nichols is a big enough threat that Karrera needs to know about it.

Karrera moves her chair closer to the bed. She senses something is wrong and it has nothing to do with her. "I'm listening."

Kaja reaches out to pats her daughter's hand. "Do you remember me telling you about how I got this messed up shoulder?"

"Yes, you were shot protecting Cass," answers Karrera. Her instincts where right. Something is wrong and it has to do with the person who hurt her father years ago.

"Someone escaped from prison today. The person who tried to kidnap Cass. Karrera, your old enough to understand what I'm telling you. I need for you to be very careful around anyone you don't know. I have not heard anything about him being here, but I still want you to be careful. Keep an eye out. I know how observant you are, Karrera. Don't say anything to your brothers. Let me and Cass talk to them, okay?" Kaja puts her hand on Karrera's upper arm.

"Would he be stupid enough to come here and try something?" asks the youth.

Kaja sighs before answering. "Yes, I believe he will come here. Karrera, he is the reason I was shot. He didn't pull the trigger, but is responsible just the same. Do you understand?" She doesn't want her daughter to know Jimmy was originally sent here to kill her and Kaja is almost certain he will try to finish the job. And she has no intentions on allowing that.

Karrera nods she understand everything. "Yes, dad, I understand. I'll be careful. I promise."

Kaja gets off the bed and hugs her daughter tight. "I love you, Karrera. I don't want you to worry about me. I just need for you to be careful and aware."

"I love you too, dad. Thanks for telling me. Oh, dad. I want to ask you something," says Karrera with a smile on her face.

"Sure, ask away," Kaja flares her arms out in a dramatic fashion.

The youth chuckles at her father's antics. "I've been given advice by Mr. Cardisson to take a freshman level course at the Illyria University and that course will transfer to university I go to after graduation. I'm thinking of a writing class. It's an area I want to improve in."

Kaja grins at Karrera. "What's the question? So far you've given me details."

"Oh, sorry. Can I take a college course?" asks Karrera.

"Of course you can go. Let me or Cass know when you need to sign up and we'll make sure you have everything you need," answers Kaja.

Karrera beams, "Thanks, dad." She hugs Kaja tight. "Can I get back to my rebuttal?"

Kaja gives her daughter a quick kiss on the cheek. "Yes, you're working hard on it. I hope you win your debate. I'll let you know when dinner's ready." The older asari exits her daughter room feeling a little better knowing Karrera understands what is going on and that she will be careful around strangers. Kaja hopes it's enough and if Jimmy does come to Elysium, he comes after her and not Cass or the kids. She walks backs into the kitchen to see Cass watching the boys play in the backyard.

The human archeologist turns when she hears footsteps behind her. Cass' eyes are red and Kaja can tell she's been crying. The asari takes her bondmate into her arms and holds her close. Cass says, "Kaja, I can't go through that again. Any of it." The human runs her hand over Kaja's left shoulder feeling the scars from twenty years ago. Tears freely flow down the human's cheeks.

Kaja doesn't know what to say to calm Cass down. There isn't anything she can do about Jimmy until he comes to Elysium. Then she can deal with him. Kaja wipes the tears away with her thumbs. "I don't know what you want me to do or say, Cass. I understand you're scared and worried and I know telling you not to do those things is a futile gesture. Tell me what you need from me and I'll do my best to provide it." The asari grins at Cass, hoping her own calm demeanor will help Cass to calm down.

The last thing they need to do is to scare the twins. Karrera is old enough to understand, but the boys are not. Kaja is worried they boys will see their mother crying and want to know why. They don't always understand or do what they're told, but they do pick up on the aura in the room. They will pick up on their mother being upset. Kaja rather not try to explain to two six-year-old boys what happened twenty years ago. For the first time in her life, Kaja understands why her parents kept things from her and her sisters when they were growing up. She vowed to never do that to her own children, but this situation might make her break that vow.

Cass grabs a tissue and blows her nose. "There isn't anything you can do that you're not already doing. I'm sorry, but I'm terrified, Kaja. He's been in prison for almost twenty years, who knows what he's capable of now."

"Cass, please, go lie down. Hopefully, you'll feel better after a nap. I will make dinner and get you when it's done," pleads Kaja. It's the only thing she can think of that might calm Cass down enough to not tip the boys off something is amiss.

Cass starts to argue with her wife about lying down, but concedes when she thinks maybe it's not such a bad idea after all. "Okay. Wake me when dinner's ready. Keep an eye on them, please." pleads Cass when she gives Kaja a peck on the cheek then heads to their bedroom to take a nap. Or attempt to take a nap, Cass isn't sure she'll actually fall asleep.

Kaja grabs Cass' hand and places a soft kiss on it. She looks at the time, decides when she needs to start dinner, then goes outside to watch the boys play. The asari sits in a lawn chair, sighing heavily, then starts typing a message to her mother. She doesn't want to verbally communicate with her mother in front of the twins, but wants to have her mother use her network to see if she can locate Jimmy Nichols. She knows she can't use her mother's information in court, but she can use Liara's network to locate him. Kaja also explains in her message Cass' reaction to the news and why she sent a text message instead of walking over to talk.

After sending her mother the message, Kaja joins her two sons and starts playing with them. She pushes Eric on the swing while Derek keeps going down the slide. With his momma near by, Derek goes down the slide feet first instead of head first. Kaja plays with her sons until it's time for her to make dinner. The boys continue to play on the swing set when Kaja goes back into the house to make dinner. She makes a chicken pot pie and once it's in the oven, Kaja checks on Cass.

Cass turns to face the door when she hears it open. Kaja sits on the bed, smiles down at the human lying on the bed, and rubs Cass' stomach. "Feeling better?"

"No, not really, but I am calmer. What did you make?" asks Cass. She takes Kaja's hand and holds it. "I don't know how you remain so calm, Kaja. Are you not concerned?"

A grin appears on the asari's face. "Of course, I'm concerned." Kaja leans down to kiss Cass on the lips. She says softly, "I've always been calm under pressure, Cass. Even when dad got shot, I remained calmed and helped stop the bleeding. I was just a kid, but I still remember that day like it was yesterday and it was over two-hundred years ago. It was the start of chain of bad things during that vacation." She kisses Cass again. "I made chicken pot pie. You'll need to add more pepper to it. You know Eric doesn't like as much pepper as you do."

Cass sits up, caresses her wife cheek. "That sounds good. I'm going to check on the boys. I know I'm being paranoid, but, Jimmy scares me."

"I know he does, but Cass, we can't live our lives in fear. I promise you this, Cassandra Mitchell, I'll do what is necessary to protect this family. What I won't do is let Nichols scare me into doing something stupid," says Kaja in a calming tone.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore tonight. The more we talk, the more worried I get. I'm going to check on the boys. I love you, Kaja," says Cass as she gives Kaja a faint grin before leaving the bedroom to check on not only the boys, but also dinner.

Kaja is becoming more worried about her bondmate than she is about Jimmy Nichols being loose in the galaxy. If Nichols does comes to Elysium, Kaja hopes it's sooner than later. She has a bad feeling Cass isn't going to calm down until Jimmy is back in custody. If Jimmy does the smart thing and stays away from Elysium, Kaja highly doubts Jimmy does the smart thing. The asari is prepared to go after him and kill him if necessary. She had to do it within the limits of the law she has sworn to uphold. Only if Jimmy Nichols steps foot on Elysium.

–

A/N: Not a whole lot to say this week. I liked the MP DLC, Juggy is a tank. The last SP DLC is tomorrow. I suppose all good things must end. BW is done supporting their game, but I assure you, I'm not done writing stories.

See everyone next week.


	4. Chapter IV

Chapter IV

It's a beautiful morning, birds are chirping, and the sun is already shining brightly in the sky. Despite the beautiful day, there is a dark cloud hanging over the T'Soni/Mitchell family. Cass still fears Jimmy Nichols will come after them and Kaja is lost on how to help Cass get over her fear. Kaja is taking the morning off to make a few calls and talk to her mother about Jimmy and how she can help Cass with her fear something bad is going to happen. Hopefully, she'll find something to help Cass. The best thing is for the authorities to find and put him back in prison. At this point, Kaja would rather see him dead than put back in prison. If he's dead, he can't come after them ever again.

Cass' reaction to Jimmy's escape is a side of Dr. Mitchell Kaja has never seen before and she isn't sure what to do to help her bondmate. The human can't keep her eyes off her sons and is overly concerned for their safety. Kaja is certain if the school would allow Cass to stay with Derek and Eric all day, she would stay with them all day. Kaja doubts very much Jimmy will bother with the kids. The detective knows she's his target and she's ready for him. In a way, Kaja doesn't blame him, he's already failed twice. He'll try and he'll fail again.

Kaja watches Cass leave with the boys to drop them off at school before Cass goes to work. She waits until the skycar is out of sight before she walks to her mother's house. "Mom?" asks Kaja as she enters the house.

Dr. Liara T'Soni is in her office talking to her youngest daughter, Olivia. "Keep your head up, Olivia. Things will work out. They usually do."

"I don't know, mom. Things are not looking good from my view and I'm ignoring the news. I don't want to hear what they're saying. Mom, I need to go. I have a meeting with the Council. I love you, bye." Olivia's holo fades when the young asari ends the transmission.

Kaja overhears part of the conversation and knows what they are saying on the news and some of it isn't pretty. "Morning, mom. I'm glad Liv is ignoring the news because what they're saying is wrong. I need to talk to her. Maybe I'll call her later tonight and see how she is doing." Kaja sits in the chair across from Liara.

"Good morning, Kaja. She looks like she's been crying all night and you look like you haven't slept. Who should I worry more about? You or your sister?" asks Liara with a semi-serious look on her face.

"Cass is the one you should worry about. Derek asked me this morning why mom looks sad. I lied to him and said she wasn't feeling well. Goddess, I'm doing what I swore to myself I'd never do. Lie to my kids." Kaja smacks her thigh with her hand. The detective is starting to get angry at the situation. Mostly because there isn't much she can do about it. Well, Kaja knows she could do something about it, but that would mean going rogue. She'd rather not go that route if at all possible. If push comes to shove, she'll do anything to protect her family.

Liara gives Kaja a sympathetic look. She senses Kaja wants to go after Jimmy and she can't blame her. "I may have found him. Olivia said the same thing to me before you arrived. It looks like her company's shuttle went to Omega. Nothing for certain, but leads point in that direction. I'll keep digging."

"Omega's not here, so maybe that will calm Cass down. I think the only thing that will calm her down is him being dead. I'm sorry, mom. It's how I feel. Seeing how Cass is reacting to the news of his escape, it makes me also wishing he was dead. Mom, she's terrified. I can see it in her eyes. She keeps a constant eye on the boys and it's unsettling to witness." The detective balls her hand into a fist then opens her hand again. She repeats this gesture a few times before she smacks her thigh. "I don't know what to do, mom. Any advice is appreciated."

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Kaja. I'll take the boys and Karrera for the night, so you and Cass can have a night alone. Tell her, it's my congratulations for you being promoted. I'll even pay for your hotel room," suggests Liara.

Kaja gives her mother a sideways look. "Mom, she's not going to go for that. Thanks for the offer though. I'd like to do that very much, but Cass won't."

Liara is also at a loss on what advice to give her oldest daughter. The elder asari understands why Cass is so terrified. "I'm sorry, Kaja, I don't know what to tell you. The only thing I can say is do what you always do and be there for her. Stop by the museum on your way to work and talk to her. Cassandra might surprise you." She reaches over and pats Kaja's forearm.

"That's what I've doing, mom, but it isn't enough." Kaja leans forward in the chair with her arms on her thighs. "There has to be more I can do, mom. There has to be."

Kaja's posture and demeanor are exactly like her father's. There is a threat lurking in the shadows and Kaja is calm and mentally prepared to meet the threat head on. It makes Liara a very proud parent, but she also worries for her daughter's safety. Liara always worried about Shepard's safety and took part in many high-risk missions herself. To this day, Liara isn't sure how she was able to pick up a pistol and fight beside Leia once they left Therum and not freak out or do something stupid and get herself killed. A grin appears on Liara's face when she remembers Pinnacle Station. Doing those simulations did build her confidence with a weapon.

Liara doesn't think teaching Cass how to use a sidearm will help the situation. Not if the human is as terrified as her daughter is saying. "The only thing you can do is keep assuring her everything is going to be fine. You have a dangerous job. The kids might be safer at my house. There is more surveillance around my house than yours."

"I don't know. I'll talk to Cass about this. Thanks mom," says Kaja. She moves around to give her mother a hug. "I love you. Please, let me know if you hear anything about Nichols."

"I will. I love you too, Kaja. Things will work out. You'll see," says Liara as she hugs her oldest.

The detective leaves her mother's house, heading back to her house when Kaja's omni-tool starts beeping. The ID says Shepard Elementary. _Crap, what did the boys do? Oh, no, it's about Cass._ She stops walking to answer the call. "What can I do for you, Ms. Pederson?" asks Kaja with a faux grin on her face.

Shepard Elementary School's Principal, Ms. Pederson, is a middle-aged human woman in her mid-sixties with long gray hair. "Good morning, Detective T'Soni." The principal smiles while talking. "We have a situation here we need your help with."

The detective nods with a grin as she says, "Morning, Ms. Pederson. What's the situation?" Kaja is hoping it's about either Eric or Derek and not about their mother, Cass.

"For once, it's not about on of your sons, Detective. It's about your wife, Dr. Mitchell. Security has asked her several times to leave the drop off area and she refuses to move. I'm contacting you directly, so I don't have to call the police." Ms. Pederson has a sympathetic look on her face and she shakes her head subtlety when she speaks.

"I'll be there shortly. Thank you for contacting me, Ms. Pederson. I'm certain I can get her to leave." Kaja starts walking back to her mother's house. She needs a ride because if she takes her car, she'll have to leave it and pick it up later.

Ms Pederson smiles softly. "Thank you, Detective." The principal ends the call.

Kaja runs up the stairs, "Mom, I need you to take me to the boy's school, so I get Cass to leave. I knew I should have taken them then come back."

"Of course," replies Liara as she gets up.

Mother and daughter get into Liara's skycar, heading to Shepard Elementary School. During the short drive, Kaja contacts Captain Tish to explain to him she has a family situation and is taking the whole day to deal with it. Since her promotion, Tish has been half way pleasant to work for. He tells her to not worry about the cases the squad has, they can handle them and to focus on her family situation. Captain Tish knows Sargent T'Soni's situation has to do with Jimmy Nichols. He's willing to give Kaja the leeway she needs when it comes to the fugitive.

There is a turian security guard talking to Dr. Mitchell when Liara and Kaja arrive. Liara drops Kaja off then heads back home. The asari detective waves the turian off as she approaches the car. She shakes her head and calms herself before getting into the car with Cass. "What do you think you're doing, Cass? You can't stay here all day," comments Kaja when she gets into the car and shuts the door. She doesn't start the car, but will if she can't get Cass to do it herself.

Cass glares at Kaja when she answers Kaja's question, "I'm making sure our sons are safe. I very well can to stay here all day."

"If we don't leave, they will call the station and they can force you to move. Do you really want to cause more of a scene than the scene you're already creating?" asks Kaja calmly. The asari points towards the school. "See, the kids are peeking out of the windows. You're a distraction and we need to go."

"I'm not letting them out of my sight, Kaja. I need to know their safe," says Cass.

Kaja starts the car which causes Cass to start screaming. The human opens the door to get out when the car starts to lift off the ground. Kaja reaches over and grabs her bondmate, pulling her back, then shuts and locks the door. The asari doesn't drive them home, instead she drives them past the city limits. If they're going to yell and scream at each other, Kaja rather do it in the middle of nowhere where no one can hear them.

Cass is screaming for Kaja to turn around and take her back to the boy's school. Kaja ignores the hysterical woman sitting next to her. By the time Kaja stops the car by a few trees at the base of the mountain, Cass is crying, shaking, but has stopped screaming. The car doors open and Kaja waits to see if Cass gets out. The human looks at the asari sitting next to her. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Because if we're going to yell at each other, I'd rather do it in private and you can't get any more private than out here. Please, Cass, get out of the car so we can talk and walk at the same time. It's a nice day," pleads Kaja. She reaches over to caress Cass' arm. "Please."

"Fine!" Cass gets out and walks away from the car and her wife in a huff.

Kaja follows her bondmate. "Tell me, Cass. What do you want from me so I can give it to you. Help me, so I can help you. What will calm you down? As far as I know, Jimmy's on Omega. Liv thinks her company's shuttle went there."

Cass stops walking, turns to face Kaja who is a few meters away. "What do you mean, Liv's company shuttle went to Omega. What does that have to do with Jimmy Nichols?" Cass only heard Jimmy's name and how he is a wanted fugitive. That detail is all she focused on. She missed the news about her sister-in-law's employee helping two convicts escape from prison yesterday.

Kaja sighs heavily before she asks, "What do you know about the escape, Cass?"

"I heard Jimmy's name and that's all I remember from the news. What does SecureTech have to do with the escape?" asks a confused Cass. She walks towards Kaja, so she can feel her wife's body against hers.

The detective holds the archeologist tight. "One of Liv's employees aided in the escape. I don't know all the details on that yet. I have not talked to Liv yet, but mom did this morning and she's afraid she's going to lose everything."

Cass backs away from Kaja's embrace. She looks the asari in the eyes. Those ocean-blue eyes looking back at her still have the same look in them as they did when she fell in love with the asari over three decades ago. Those eyes are having a calming affect on the human. "I'm sorry, Kaja. All I heard was Jimmy was on the loose and the only thing I started thinking was what if he goes after the boys. He did try to kidnap me."

Kaja grins at Cass. "I know he did. Remember, I was there. I did my best to keep you safe and I suppose I can't blame you if you don't feel I can protect you and the kids. I didn't do a very good job that night." She rubs on her left shoulder, feeling the uneven muscle and scar tissue. "Cass, that was then. I didn't even know I had anyone wanting to kill me. Now, I know and I'm prepared for him."

The human places her right hand over the asari's as Kaja rubs her left shoulder. "You saved me that night, sweetie. I know you can protect us. That's not why I'm so scared. I'm scared because I feel he'll try to kidnap our sons to lure you into a trap. Like he was planning with me."

"Cass, their goal was to get you away from me. If I'm remembering the report correctly, they wanted you away from me, so Jimmy and his friend could kill me without you knowing who did it. I doubt very much he'll use our sons to lure me into a trap," explains Kaja.

Cass asks, "If he comes here, would you know before he did something?"

"I hope so, Cass. The spaceport has their guards on heightened alert. People are looking for him, but if he is on Omega. They can't get to him. No police there. Unless the Council sends a Spectre and I don't know if they would do that," replies Kaja. She kisses Cass' forehead.

"You hope so? That's not good enough," says Dr. Mitchell. She starts walking towards the car. "I'm going back to pick the boys up from school. They're not safe there."

Kaja runs behind her then gets between Cass and the skycar. "They're safe, Cass. If you go back, the school will call the uniforms on you. They were going to do that but Ms. Pederson called me instead."

"Get out of my way, Kaja." Cass pushes on the asari, but she doesn't make Kaja move.

Kaja puts both hands on Cass' upper arms. "Stop and listen to me, Cassandra The boys are fine. Jimmy is on Omega. He is not here. You need calm down and think about how your behavior is affecting Derek and Eric. Derek asked me this morning why are you so sad. I lied to him and said you're not feeling well. Getting hysterical doesn't help. Getting them upset doesn't help."

"Let me go, T'Soni!" screams Cass. Kaja releases her grip on Cass' arms. "He's still out there, isn't he? Which means they are not safe as long as the bastard is free!" Cass is yelling at the asari she so adores while pointing with her right hand at the sky.

"I can't do anything about it. Do you want me to quit my job and go after him on Omega? I'm sure Ben will follow me. I might be able to get a few friends to help me. Is that what you want? Is it?" yells Kaja.

Cass continues yelling at Kaja. "No, that is not what I want. What I want is for him to leave us alone. Anything you can do about that?"

"No, there isn't. Unless he comes here to Elysium. Then I'll do everything within my power to make sure he leaves us alone, Cass. I promise," says Kaja calmly. Yelling at Cass isn't helping the situation and it's making Kaja feel horrible. So, she gives her love a loving smile instead.

Hearing the birds chirping, seeing the smile on Kaja's face, Cass slowly calms down. The human reaches up to caress Kaja's cheek. "Kaja, I...I don't know what to say. You're right. I'm not handling the news very well. I'm sorry."

Kaja takes Cass into her arms and holds the human close. "Everything will work out. You'll see." A smirk appears when she remembers her mother's offer. "Cass, my mom has offered to take the kids for the night. I think she'll take them for the weekend. I would like to go to the Citadel and see Liv. This is affecting her too."

"No, I don't want to leave them for the weekend. We can go and see Liv, but I want the kids to go with us," says Cass before she places a soft kiss on her wife's cheek.

The detective still has the smirk on her face. She moves Cass' hair to expose her neck then leans in to tease the spot behind Cass' ear. The asari whispers, "I think we need some time alone." Kaja's lips tease Cass' earlobe. "Wouldn't you agree?"

The hazel-eyed woman's body tingles with each touch from the asari's lips. A soft moan escapes Cass' lips as she enjoys the attention she's receiving. She is conflicted. A part of her wants to run away with Kaja and leave the kids with Liara and another part of her wants to have the kids with them. The longer Kaja kisses on her neck, the more she yearns for the alone time. It's been too long since they've spent any quality time alone without the kids. Cass' lust and desire for Kaja is overpowering her fear about what Jimmy might do. "Take me home," mumbles Cass before her lips overpowers Kaja's.

Kaja walks backwards while they kiss or until she backs into the skycar. They get into the car and head home for a late morning love making session. Even if they don't go to the Citadel without the kids, Kaja hopes their time alone is what Cass needs to calm down enough to start acting rationally.

Citadel

"...I love you, bye," says Olivia T'Soni as she ends the call with her mother. The young asari rubs her forehead in a failed attempt to calm herself before heading to the Citadel Tower and her meeting with the Citadel Council. The asari Council assures her the meeting is behind closed doors, but the computer tech will believe it when she gets there.

Liv hasn't been paying attention to exactly what the news is saying, but she has heard a few things during the ride home last night. Those things haven't been pleasant to hear. Hearing what is being said makes her wonder how much of her company's success is because of her talents as a programmer/hacker or because of her parents. Did the Council and various government agencies across the galaxy have her company running and maintaining their computer security because she wrote the most effective security algorithm or because her father, Leia Shepard, saved the galaxy?

She likes to think everything she has done to this point is based off her own merit, but since the prison break and her employee involvement plus hearing bits about what is being said about her and her company. It is making her wonder if the talking heads are correct and the contracts where because of her father and not from her own merit. Liv figures she'll find out soon enough if all of her hard work is going to go down the drain.

Liv inhales deeply, trying her best to calm down. She has never been this nervous before and it's pushing her to the edge. The youngest T'Soni sibling hopes she has the fortitude to not fall over the cliff and can keep it together and save her company. Maybe once the smoke settles and all the details are collected, they can figure out what went wrong and how to stop it from happening again. Ian did pass all C-Sec security checks to gain access to the prison. Same with every other employee who's been assigned the prison over the past century.

Tracy Andrews exits the bathroom with a towel in her hand, towel drying her hair. She is wearing the same clothes she had on last night and needs to stop by her apartment to change before going to work. The human is willing to go out of her way to make sure Olivia is not alone. If anyone knows how much Liv's work means to the asari, it's Tracy. "You okay, Liv?" asks Tracy. She tosses the towel over the towel rack.

"No, Tracy, I'm not. I'm afraid the Council will terminate my contracts. I'm not sure what to say that will appease them beside being honest and admit maybe I made a mistake by keeping Ian after the Derk fiasco, but C-Sec had cleared him," sighs Liv. Her shoulders are slumped-over and she hangs her head while sitting at her desk.

Tracy walks over and rubs Liv's back and shoulders. "Keep thinking positive thoughts, Liv. You have the best security software on the market. I know for a fact, it's top notch. My bosses swear by it, Liv. I doubt you'll lose any contracts you have with the Alliance."

Liv reaches up with her right hand and touches Tracy's hand on her left shoulder, "I should expect the worst. Then maybe things won't turn out so bad. Thank you for staying. I figured you'd leave once I fell asleep."

"Nah, I wouldn't do that. What type of friend would I be if I just left in the middle of the night?" asks Tracy with a grin on her face. She leans down to hug Liv.

Leaning back against the human, Liv closes her eyes to enjoy the embrace. "I need to get to the office. I'm sure you need to get home," says Liv after she opens her eyes again then stands up and hugs Tracy and places a soft kiss on the human's cheek. "Meet me after work? It will be late again, I'm sure."

"It's still early, Liv. Don't burn yourself out over this, please. Yes, I'll meet you if that is what you want," replies Tracy.

"I love my work, Tracy. You of all people should know that. What I am dreading are all the meetings. I'd rather sit at my desk and write code than sit in a meeting with room full of politicians." Olivia's eyes already show signs of stress and worry and the day hasn't even begun yet.

Seeing the turmoil in the asari solidifies Tracy's conviction to stay with Liv until this ordeal is resolved. Tracy replies in a soft tone, "I know you do, Liv. If you had your way, you would sit behind your computer terminal and type away for hours. You still do what I only do rarely, you get lost in your work. It's why your software is the best. They can never take that from you. Some asshole criminal can't take that away. It's a fact, Dr. T'Soni. You have a gift and that gift has kept many computers safe from hackers. Don't ever forget that."

A slight grin appears on Olivia's face when she looks at the human talking to her. Since Tracy reappeared last night, Liv has not only wondered if the human has an ulterior motive but also wonders why she stopped all contact with Tracy in the first place. Of all the people Liv has dated over the decades, Tracy is the only one who actually understands Dr. T'Soni's love for her work. Tracy is also the only one Liv had any actual feelings for beside unadulterated lust.

Olivia pushes the feelings she has for Tracy to the side. She can't afford to focus on anything besides trying to save her company. Liv can see how much Tracy still cares. The computer tech fights the urge to start something they don't have time to finish. She really needs to get to her office, so she can prepare for her meeting with the Council. Liv partly gives in to one desire and kisses Tracy's cheek again. "You're being too kind. Thank you. I keep saying it because I don't know what else to say."

"You're welcome, Liv. You don't need to say anything. I hope me being here helps," responds the human with a smile on face. She pats Liv on the upper arm.

"It does, Tracy. It helps more than you know. Will you please take me to work, I want to seem somewhat prepared before I get my blue ass handed to me by the Council," says Liv as she heads towards the front door.

Tracy follows Liv out the door. Neither say much on the drive to Liv's office. Before Dr. T'Soni exits the skycar, she leans over and plants a tender peck on Tracy's lips. The human's body tingles, feeling the asari's blue lips on her red one. That brief moment tells Tracy Liv still has feelings for her and is hesitate to act on them. Tracy grins at Liv when the asari shuts the car door. The look in Liv's eyes has softened. Or Tracy thinks so. So far, everything today is positive and she hopes it can stay that way. She'll see in about fourteen to fifteen hours if Liv has a good day or not. Tracy's day is the same as every other day, deciphering code for the Alliance.

Olivia watches the skycar fly away. She inhales deeply to calm herself before turning to walk into the building. The asari tech, Breia, sits on a bench in front of the building, waiting for Dr. T'Soni to arrive. Breia, like Jena has worked with Olivia from the very beginning. Liv provided all the capitol needed to get the company started and when SecureTech grew, Liv moved the corporate office to the Citadel leaving Breia and Jena in charge of the office on Thessia. They're both specialists dealing with the hardware side while Liv handles all the programming.

T'Soni stops by her friend, Breia. "Morning Breia, I hope you've not been here long?"

"No, doc, I haven't. Morning, by the way. It is morning right? Jena and I have yet to get any sleep. We got done at the prison and came straight here. Jena is a C-Sec giving a copy of what we found to the Executor. The prison officials also have a copy and here is your copy," says Breia as she hands Liv a data pad.

The two asari enter the building, use the elevator to the sixth floor, then enter Olivia's office. Liv puts the data pad on her desk then leans against her desk with her arms folded across her chest. "What did you and Jena find at the prison? Who fried the servers? Ian or Derk?"

"Derk from the access panel in the janitorial closet. When it comes to the computer systems and the servers, Ian is clean. I don't know how they got on his shuttle, but that is all Ian did, doc, fly them off the station and out of the system. All the computer issues are on Derk. That took us the longest to fix. Everything is back up and running to our standards," answers Breia.

Breia looks around Liv's office and notices how much it looks like her old office on Thessia. Diplomas hanging on the wall, one painting, and a few books on a bookshelf. "Geez, Liv, you need to hire someone to decorate your office. You've been here for over a century and this is the same stuff you had on Thessia. It's okay to decorate more, doc," whispers Breia in a sarcastic tone.

Liv chuckles and grins at Breia. "I keep meaning to, honest. Then I sit in my chair." Liv uses her thumb to point to chair behind her. "And start working then I forget about decorating. It's not high on my need to do list. My apartment doesn't have much either." She shrugs her shoulders.

Breia nods and chuckles. She's tired, but it's good to see Liv and she wants to know what is up with her and Tracy. Last Breia knew, they were not seeing each other or talking. "Doc, when did you and Tracy get back together? I saw you kiss her when she dropped you off."

"I wouldn't say we're back together. She was waiting for me when I left here late last night and said she didn't want me being alone. I'm glad she showed up. She made the night easier to handle," replies Liv. A baby smirk appears on her face.

"You know she still loves you, doc. And I get a sense you still have feelings for her. Do something about it this time and stop being a shitty girlfriend," says Breia as she pushes playfully on Liv's shoulder.

Liv moves around her desk and sits in her chair. "This is not the time to get intimately involved with Tracy again. She being a good friend, Breia, when I need one the most. I know I've been a shitty girlfriend to Tracy. I'm not sure I can make that up to her."

Yawning, Breia covers her mouth. "Stop shutting her out is a good place to start, doc. I'm tired., Jena and I want to take you to dinner. Even if it's late. We're leaving for Thessia tomorrow. We can discuss things then. I think we'll be alright, Liv. I really do." Breia heads towards the office door.

"I hope so, Breia. Thanks for the data pad and the unsolicited advice," remarks Olivia. Breia gives Liv a wink and grin then leaves for her hotel room for some much needed sleep.

Once, Breia leaves Liv's office, she picks up the data pad to read it. First few pages are the work details and what got replaced. There is also photos of the damage attached to the work order. Evidence of the tampering. Liv reads the before and after diagnostic reports on the main server. Either Derk is the luckiest salarian alive, or he knew Ian was doing maintenance on the server. With Ian in the system running diagnostic software, it made it easier for Derk to piggy back in and fry the systems he wanted down.

All done in a manner a seconds. Liv hired Derk because he had the skills she needed in a tech and his background check came back clean. She never thought he would use his skills and his knowledge of her systems to break out of prison. Liv almost falls out of her chair when she reads the message from Derk: _Jimmy_ _Nichols is out and after another T'Soni._

The message from Derk is the last thing on the data pad and reading it makes Liv's skin crawl. Derk is taunting her and giving her a warning at the same time. Liv tosses the data pad back on her desk and calls Kaja. There isn't any answer at Kaja's house, so she leaves a message saying to call her back. She is sure Kaja knows about Jimmy's escape, but she still worries about her eldest sister. It's hard not to worry when Kaja puts her life on the line to keep criminals off the streets. Liv has always been proud of her oldest sister.

Olivia picks the data pad back up and proceeds to analyze every detail on it before her meeting with the Council. The more prepared she is, the more confident she feels about this meeting and all other meetings in the future. The one thing Olivia does not want to do is talk to the media. She'll let her lawyer do the talking, she doesn't have anything to say to them.

Dr. T'Soni only needs is few minutes to push her thoughts about Kaja and everything else to the side and focuses on the task at hand. That task is to memorize as much material as she can before she needs to leave for her meeting with the Council. Once Liv gets involved in a project not matter what it is, she loses herself in it and loses all concept of time. Her assistant, Camelia, reminds Liv it's 0830 and her meeting with the Council. Liv puts a few data pads in a small bag and takes them with her. Some are copies of the report from Breia and some are notes to make it easier for her to answer any questions the Council may have.

Elysium

Dr. Liara T'Soni walks up the stairs to her office after returning home from taking Kaja to the boy's grade school to get Cass to leave. For the first time in a long time, Liara is very conflicted on what to do. She has the power to get to Jimmy and eliminate him without anyone knowing she ordered it. However, Liara has always tried to not use her network for personal reasons. She wonders if this is on of those rare moments when her network can help protect her family.

What logical reason is there for the Shadow Broker to care about one escaped criminal? Since Liara can't figure out a logical reason to have Jimmy eliminated, the only other thing she can do is to continue to look for him and hopefully track his whereabouts. The commando unit led by Biekka have moved on to the other stages in their lives and no longer work for Liara. Theia still does, but she's just an agent and is not on Omega. Liara starts to contact the former commando then thinks Jimmy could leave Omega in the time it takes Theia to get there.

Liara sits at her desk, rubs her forehead, thinking of what she can do to help deal with Jimmy besides just observing him the best she can and relaying that info to either Kaja or Liv. So far, so sign of Ian or Derk. The SecureTech shuttle plotted a course to Omega. She doesn't know if all three men are on the shuttle or if they split up. The Shadow Broker looks over all the information she has on all three men. Derk has shown some violent tendencies. Ian's record is clean and he passed all mid-level security checks. Which is what he needed to access the prison as SecureTech's employee.

"Glyph, has Agent Meekan checked in from Omega yet?" asks Liara.

Glyph hovers closer to Liara's deck, "No, Doctor."

"Thank you, Glyph." The Shadow Broker looks over latest intel to cross her desk. Nothing too important, but she types out instructions or replies to those who need them. One piece of intel jumps out at her and it's from Captain Geleck, batarian captain of the merchant vessel GemoniRules. The vessel is in route to Omega to pick up a shipment of eezo for a batarian colony in the Attican Traverse A galaxy-wide message went out to all shipping and military vessels to keep an eye out for a rogue SecureTech shuttle.

The batarian Captain saw the shuttle in the Omega Nebula, heading to Omega. The vessel also witnessed the shuttle doors open with everything being sucked into vacuum. Geleck wants to know if he should contact anyone else about what he saw. There is no military presence in the system outside of Aria T'Loak's fleet. He already knows Aria doesn't care about criminal activity unless they're screwing with her business, then she cares.

Liara sits back for a moment, thinking over what she wants the Captain to do. She replies back to do nothing, not your problem. If you happen to see a patrol ship in another system, feel free contact them about it. Again, not your problem. Sending this type of message always makes Liara feel a little dirty, but it comes with being the Shadow Broker. Over the decades, she has thought about dissolving the network.

No one to give the network to and the agents would work for someone else if she just walked away. Then the other information brokers would fight for power. Safer for everyone and the galaxy if Liara remains the Shadow Broker. From time to time, she needs to do shady deals from the shadows. That's the nature of the information business. It's a different type of dirt than working at dig sites. More times than not, she's used her network to help maintain the peace her late bondmate, Leia Shepard, fought so hard to achieve over two centuries ago.

Liara has slowly been writing Shepard's biography. Everything she knows about her bondmate is included. Except there is one detail missing, them dealing with the yahg. That detail Liara intends to take to her grave. It's been almost fifty years since Shepard's death, Liara knows it's time the galaxy knew everything Leia went through to win the war by destroying the Reapers. Everything including the nightmares and her being total rebuilt by the terrorist organization, Cerberus.

Liara's eyes move from one family picture to another and stops when she gets to the Shepard's picture. A smile appears on the asari's face then Liara turns her focus back on work. She sends a message to scavenger vessel located in the Terminus to check on dumped cargo near the Omega Relay and to report back all findings. Liara has a feeling there are a body or two mixed with the debris left when the shuttle door opened. If her gut is right, it will narrow down who she needs to keep tabs on. She's still looking for two humans and a salarian.

Just like her youngest daughter, Olivia, Liara loses track of time while engaged with her work and doesn't notice it is late afternoon until she hears Kaja telling the boys to stop running through grandma's house. Stretching after she gets up, Liara walks downstairs to greet Kaja and family.

Eric says to Liara as he jumps up and down, "We're going to the Citadel! Yea!"

"Is that so, Eric?" asks the elder asari as she hugs her grandson.

Kaja replies before her son does, "Yes, we're leaving for the weekend. I want to see Liv and get away for the weekend. Karerra is spending the night at Jasmine's tonight. Will you pick her up tomorrow around noonish?" She transfers Jasmine's address and number to her mom's omni-tool. "Karerra knows we're leaving for the Citadel to visit Liv and she still wanted to spend the night at Jasmine's. They're working on their debate material and they practice their debate with each other." Kaja's face beams with pride when she talks about Karerra.

Derek is calmer than his brother, but not by much. "I want to see the big statue of granddad and you, grandma." A big bright smile appears on Derek's face to go with him rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

Liara hugs Derek then asks, "Are you seeing anything else while you're there?"

"Yea, we're seeing the war museum too," answers Eric.

Derek finishes by saying, "And we're going to see Aunt Liv. I can't wait!" He tugs on Cass' arm, "Let's go, mom.

Eric echos the sentiment, "Let's go!"

Cass smiles at her two sons. "Okay, let's get you both on the shuttle and we can leave." She takes Derek's hand and offers her other hand to Eric. Mother and sons walk outside to the shuttle parked behind Liara's skycar.

"I tried to let you take them for the weekend. But she said not this time, mom. Karerra is lucky she already had plans and Cass didn't want to disappoint her by telling her at last moment she had to leave with us. That was our compromise. Boys with us, Karrera with you. Thanks again, mom. I love you," says Kaja while she hugs her mother.

Liara replies, "It's okay. My offer still stands in the future. You two do need some time alone with no kids to worry about. Take care, Kaja. I love you too."

Kaja flashes her father's smirk before heading out the door. Liara watches the shuttle take off heading towards the mass relay. She wipes a lone tear from her eyes. Kaja makes her so proud and Kaja also makes her worry the most. Her oldest daughter has made enemies in her short asari life and Liara wishes there is more she can do to help with Jimmy. She can't let her personal feelings cloud her judgment or affect her work as the Shadow Broker.

Kaja is walking down a difficult road. One with many trials and tribulations just like her father. Liara loves nothing more than seeing Kaja smirking. When her daughter has Leia's smirk, Kaja is usually in good spirits. Seeing her smirk, tells Liara that Kaja was able to calm Cass down enough for her to agree to leave town for the weekend. Cass seems calm, but she also didn't say much and the boys were by her side the entire time they were in the house. Hopefully, their weekend away is uneventful and they can enjoy themselves without any worries.

A/N:Thanks again to everyone who takes the time to review. I do appreciate them. I want to make a quick mention about the Citadel DLC.

LOVE IT! I won't mention anything about it in this story, but might in other stories. That was good stuff. Now I have a whole bunch of people who can tease Shepard about having an evil clone. I'm not sure I've everything in it yet. Which is good, it keeps me playing.

See everyone next week for chapter 5. I do hope everyone is enjoying this ride. There is more to come.


	5. Chapter V

Chapter V

Omega

Escaped convict, Jimmy Nichols, and his Blue Suns contact, Moshii sit around a small square table in a small dark, dank, dirty apartment drinking cheap batarian lager. Moshii is trying to help Jimmy make a few quick credits, so Jimmy can leave Omega and take care of the business he has for Jax and to deal with Kaja T'Soni. First thing Jimmy needs to do is change his identity. Unfortunately, he doesn't have enough credits to do that. He can change how he looks. He'll let his facial hair grow, keeping it some what trimmed and change his head and facial hair color. That he can afford.

Selling the SecureTech shuttle for parts didn't net Jimmy the credits he thought he would get. Some credits are better than no credits. Jimmy needs more credits and he needs them quickly. Moshii is nice enough to let Jimmy stay at his apartment for the time being, but won't let Jimmy move-in permanently.

Moshii slams the empty bottle on the table, "Ah, that hit the spot. I might have worked out a barter for you to get a new identity. You are going to have to do a favor or two for the forger."

"What are the favors?" asks Jimmy. He starts scratching his jawline where his beard is growing in. He hasn't shaved in two days and he can tell because he has itchy face.

"I don't know what the favors are, she just said a few favors. Maybe you'll get lucky and she'll want to fuck you. How long has it been?" asks Moshii as he grabs another lager from the fridge.

Jimmy scowls at Moshii then shakes his head. "Too fucking long, that's how long. The forger is a she, huh?"

"An asari, yes. She's very good. Expensive, but you get what you pay for. I got wind she was looking for someone to do her a favor, so I contacted her. She wants to meet later this afternoon," answers Moshii.

Nichols rolls his eyes when Moshii mentions the forger is an asari then grins. "Sounds good. If it helps me get off Omega so I can deal with T'Soni, I'm in. I don't care if I get popped again if I get can to that asari bitch first. I need info on T'Soni too. I heard she is on Elysium, but I need to make sure on that."

Moshii wipes his chin with his left hand. "Done." He tosses a data pad onto the table, knocking an empty bottle off the table.

Jimmy picks up the data pad and starts reading it. He almost starts laughing when he see she has three kids. One asari about his age and two human boys. "Oh, Mo. This is so perfect. Thanks. What do you want from me for it?"

"Nothing, Jimmy. My gift to you for getting the fuck out of prison. Especially since you're a wanted man. I gotta help ya." Moshii slams the empty bottle on the table. "Lets blow this joint and get you some credits."

"Sounds good." Jimmy finishes his beer then tosses the bottle into the trash. Being in prison for almost twenty years has Jimmy feeling weird being out again. He heard stories from few older inmates when he first got to Widow System Prison about how being in prison for decades changes a man. He never believed them, but Jimmy now realizes those old-timers knew what they where talking about. Being on the outside is different after almost two decades locked up. Omega hasn't changed much, but that's no surprise. Aria T'Loak still rules the station.

Moshii and Jimmy leave Moshii's apartment heading for the docks to find any new arrivals to scam credits from. There are usually a handful arriving daily who are gullible enough to fall for Moshii's scams. He's willing to give Jimmy a share of their haul. Moshii does have to pay his employer a cut. All part of the game and a way of life on Omega. Their timing is perfect. A shuttle docked from Illium ten minutes ago and passengers are still exiting the shuttle.

Jimmy and Moshii split up. One thing Jimmy honed while in prison is his ability to bullshit his way around a target and get what he needs from them. Today, the escaped con puts his skills of bullshitting to the test. The pickings are slim with this shuttle, but there are two more shuttle scheduled to arrive in the next few hours, so they hang around the docks, waiting for more potential victims. The second shuttle yields more than the first. However, the third shuttle tops the other two combined.

When they're done scamming the new arrivals to the station, Moshii takes Jimmy for his meeting with the asari forger. The asari sends a salarian to meet the humans and bring them to her. Once they get to a district seldom used by any one merc gang, the salarian drops the two human's off and tells them to knock on the third door to the left. The salarian closes the skycar door and leave the two humans alone. The area is eerily quiet with no one else within eye sight.

Moshii doesn't know the asari well and figures this is her being cautious. He works for the Blue Suns, she's done work for the merc group before. Which is the only reason she agreed to meet with him and his human friend. Moshii shrugs his shoulders at Jimmy when Jimmy gives him a nasty look. "She's probably being cautious. Can you blame her? She knows I work for the Blue Suns and that's about it. Keep on your toes, Jimmy. You'll be fine."

"No, I suppose not. How long has this asari been on Omega?" asks Jimmy. He knows when he lived on Omega two decades ago, there was asari named Corressa and she is an excellent forger. He wonders if this is the same asari. If so, this meeting just got a little more interesting.

Jimmy knocks on the door the salarian told them to knock on. A voice comes over the speaker, "State your business."

"I'm expected. I'm Moshii." He gives Jimmy a curious look. Moshii is starting to wonder what is going on. He's never dealt with this before.

The door opens and the voice tells them to enter. Jimmy has a cocky grin on his face as he glances over to Moshii, who is looking somewhat confused. They enter the building only to find a big empty room with a large curtain sectioning off one corner. An asari silhouette is seen through the curtain. She says, "That's close enough boys. Moshii, you should have told me your friend was Jimmy Nichols."

"I didn't think that was relevant," retorts Moshii.

"Oh, it's quite relevant, Moshii. I'm disappointed in you for not thinking far enough ahead. Or maybe that is of your one human faults. Not able to see past the moment and see what ripples their actions have on the future," dryly comments the asari. She hasn't moved since the two humans entered her domain.

Jimmy's grin grows more cocky the longer Moshii and the asari keep talking. He thinks they are dealing with Corressa. She always berates humans for their lack of vision for the future. It's one thing he always admired about Corressa. He decides to ask, "Is me being here a problem for you, asari?"

Corressa appears from behind the curtain. "Of course not, Jimmy. Moshii is the problem. You can go now, Moshii. My meeting is with your friend, not you. I'll make sure he's home by dinner." There is a smugness to the asari's words which rubs Moshii the wrong way and Corressa senses it which causes her smug grin to turn into a smug smile.

Moshii turns to Jimmy to ask. "You sure about this?"

"Yea, I'm good. See you later, Mo. I'll find my back to your place after I talk with Corressa," replies Jimmy. He watches Moshii leave him and the asari alone. Jimmy turns his attention to the asari. "Long time, Corrressa. The Spectre didn't find you?"

The forger motions for Jimmy to sit on the couch. He obliges her and sits on the couch. Corressa pours two drinks. Red wine from Thessia for herself and a whiskey for Jimmy. She hands the human his drink then sits next to him. "No, I knew the Spectre was coming and went underground for about a month. I didn't even bother to warn Sederis. The whole T'Soni thing made her lose her mind, but I didn't think the Council would send a Spectre to Omega to deal with her because of it."

Jimmy sips on his drink. "Thanks for the drink. Moshii said you needed a favor or two done."

"You can't do what I need done, Jimmy. You're too hot, but I will change your identity for you," responds the forger. She drinks her wine then smacks the human's thigh before standing up to move to her computer terminal. She sips her wine again then sets the glass on the counter, so she can type in the info Jimmy gives her. "What name do you want?"

"What's the catch? You want something from me." Jimmy downs the last of his drink. He places his right arm on the back of the couch.

Corressa grins at Jimmy. "I suspect you need to change your identity for two reasons. One, to get the authorities in Council Space off your ass. Two, to make it easier for you to go after T'Soni. I know you, Jimmy. You want to finish what Sederis sent you to do. Personally, I don't see the point in going after her. And there is no catch to my offer. Can't I do something for you for old-times sake?"

Laughing out loud with his head tilted backwards, Jimmy says, "Oh, Corressa, that is why I have always liked you so much. You're so giving. I think last the name should be Shepard. Ah, the irony in that." Jimmy continues to laugh.

"I'm only giving to those I like, Jimmy. And I do like you. I always have. You have a violent streak, but I also know you can be a big softy too. Or has prison hardened you completely?" asks Corressa coyly as she glances over her shoulder to the human sitting on the couch. "How about John Shepard? We either dye your hair red with gray mixed in or all gray. You already have a little gray in your beard. I might even be nice and give you some green contacts to change your eye color. I should make you earn those though."

The escaped con readjusts himself with his hand as he widens his posture on the couch. "John Shepard, huh? I think I like that. I'll do what you want if you help me get off Omega. I still have another job to do before I go after T'Soni."

"I do have a job that you are perfect for here on Omega, and it was something I was going to handle personally. Now that your here. Hmm..." Corressa taps her chin with her forefinger, thinking. "...yes, I think you can handle it instead. I got stiffed on a job two weeks ago. I gave the human a week to pay and he's yet to pay me. Want to handle that? He either pays me what I am owed or you hurt him in ways you see fit besides killing him. Dead people don't pay."

"Yes, I'm well aware the dead don't pay. I get told that enough," says Jimmy in a snarky tone.

Corressa grabs the whiskey bottle, refills Jimmy's glass, then tops off her wine. "Well, people tend to die around you, Nichols." The forger sips on her wine, watching Jimmy"s reaction to her comments. "What happened to the others? The news reports says you and a salarian escaped with help from another human. What happened to them Jimmy?"

Jimmy grins at the forger. "What do you think happened to them, Ressa?"

"Oh, it's Ressa now. Tsk, tsk, tsk, Jimmy. You know I don't like being called that by anyone except my lover and you stopped being that when you got busted on Elysium." The asari wiggles her index finger at the human, shaking her head. Corressa's tone changes from semi-serious to a sultry one along with her demeanor. "However, since you're here." She runs her finger along his thigh.

Jimmy's body quivers as Corressa runs a finger across this thigh. It's been almost two decades since another has aroused him. The bulge in his pants grows the longer Corressa touches him. "Ah, you still know what turns me on," says the human as his body continues to quiver under the asari's touch.

Corressa's hand stops when she reaches his package. A grunt is heard when she gives it a loving squeeze. She unbuttons his shirt then runs her fingers through his hairy chest. There is something about human males and their hairy chest Corressa finds a total turn on. Too much hair turns her off. Same with someone with no chest hair. Humans are so different compared to the rest of the galaxy. Even within their own species, their looks vary so much. That aspect is what the asari loves about humans, their variety. While she teases his package with her hand, the asari feels him reach his peak before she gets the chance to stick her hand down his pants. She whispers softly into his ear, "Of course, I do. Too bad for you, sweetheart, you didn't last long."

Jimmy grabs her head with his hand and runs his fingers through Corresss's neck folds. He asks after his kisses her lips roughly, "What did you expect? I've been locked up for twenty years with no one to keep me company."

A mischievous grin appears on the forger's face. She straddles him and runs both hands through his chest hair. Her thumbs tease his nipples. Carressa licks Jimmy's lips before she kisses him passionately. They literally rip each others clothes off. The former lovers spend the afternoon going into the evening having hot, passionate sex. When Jimmy finally leaves Corressa's place, he is a different man with a new name and look. And a more dangerous man now that he has a plan in dealing with Kaja T'Soni.

* * *

Citadel

Cass, Kaja, and the twins arrive at the Citadel well past the boy's normal bedtime. Even for a Friday night. Kaja docks the family's shuttle at their assigned dock on the Presidium. Derek and Eric are sleeping in their seats leaning against each other. Kaja grins at the sight. Cass hugs Kaja tightly then whispers, "I hate to wake them. They look so peaceful."

"They do, don't they?" Kaja kisses Cass fully on the lips. "I love you, Cass. We have to wake them, I can't carry them both and our bags."

"I love you too, Kaja. I don't expect you to carry them. That would be a funny picture though." Cass chuckles at her comment. She's glad they left for the weekend, but is starting to wish she'd let Liara watch the boys. Next time, she thinks, next time.

Kaja smooches the human's cheek, "Not as funny if you were doing it." She flashes her bondmate a toothy smile then goes to wake the twins. She kneels down, gently shakes on Eric and Derek's legs. "We're at the Citadel. You can go back to sleep when we get to the hotel. Derek. Eric."

Derek is the first one to open his eyes. He rubs the sleep from his eyes. "We're here?"

"Yes, we're here." Kaja unhooks their safety belts and hugs Derek when he gets out of his seat.

"We're here?" asks a sleepy Eric when he slides off his seat.

Kaja hugs Eric while saying, "Yes, Eric, we are."

Neither boy looks awake. Cass takes their hands and leads them towards the taxi stand. Kaja puts a bag over each shoulder and carries one in each hand then follows Cass and the boys. There is a hotel employee waiting for the family by the taxi stand. Cass will never get used to seeing the krogan, Jynt, waiting to take them to the hotel. The Saffron Hotel isn't the most expensive hotel on the Presidium, but the family likes staying there and its within the family's budget.

The hotel's taxi service is enough for Kaja to want to stay there. Anything else the hotel offers is a bonus. The boys always like playing at the small playground or swimming in the pool. Cass loves everything from room size to the food and everything in between. Jynt takes the two bags Kaja is carrying and puts them in the trunk. Kaja follows the krogan to the skycar. The krogan takes the family's final two bags from Kaja and puts them in the trunk.

Jynt hurries to open the skycar door for Cass and the twins. "Let me get the for you, ma'am," says Jynt as he opens the door.

"Thank you, Jynt," replies Cass when she lets the boys in the car first.

Derek slides across the seat and sits next to the other door. He peeks out the window to watch the skycar fly by. Kaja sits next to Eric and the youth climbs into her lap to put his arms around her neck and his head on his momma's shoulder. Kaja rubs on his back, which causes him fall back asleep. Once everyone is in the car, Jynt drives them to the Saffron Hotel. Derek keeps watch from the window. They're too far in the air for Derek to see anything to his disappointment. He thinks he sees a statue, but can't tell which one. He points to it as he turns to face his mom, "I think I saw it, mom. Granddad's statue."

Cass smiles at Derek. "You sure about that? I'm sure that statue is in the other direction." She whispers to Kaja, "I should take a picture. He looks so cute sleeping on your shoulder."

Kaja smiles at Cass when she says softly. "I'm sure he does. I will have to carry him to the room too. I don't think he's going to wake back up."

Derek says, "I can wake him up." The youth gets a mischievous look on his face.

"No, don't, Derek. You wouldn't want Eric waking you if you were asleep," say Cass with an authoritative tone in her voice.

"Ah, mom, you're no fun," pouts Derek. He turns his gaze out the window, looking at the Presidium scenery as they fly by.

Cass and Kaja exchange smiles. Kaja is content because Cass seems more calm than she was this morning. That is the main reason for their weekend away. Besides Kaja wanting to check on her youngest sister. She could have called, but Kaja wants a face-to-face talk with Liv. To make sure everything with Liv is okay and to let Liv know everything is okay on her end. Yes, Liv's employee helped a former employee escape prison, but Kaja doesn't fault Liv for that. The police sargent knows how well the security is at the prison.

During her military career, Kaja never did a rotation at the prison, but knows a few commandos who did and they always said the security at the prison is as tight as possible plus all civilian contractors go through a screening process. Which is why Kaja believes the talking heads on the news have it wrong when it comes to SecureTech and how the young asari maiden runs her company. Liv hasn't done anything wrong except one bad hire and what company doesn't have a few of those? Kaja has seen a few bad uniform cops since she joined the Illyria Police Department.

Kaja is sure Liv works within the regulations set by the Citadel Council when it comes to which employee is sent to which job. Some jobs have a higher security level than others. Most contracts have a low security level, but contracts like the prison have a higher security level. If Liv's employee passed the security check, then how is it SecureTech's fault? That is what Kaja doesn't understand. If C-Sec failed to find anything, what's the problem? If you've never committed a crime before, you're not a criminal. Which means a background check will come back clean. Do the talking heads on the news shows ever actually think before opening their mouths or do they just spout off without thinking first? That is something Kaja has always wondered about and why more times than not, she changes the channel when one goes on a rant.

Jynt parks the skycar in the lot next to the hotel. He quickly exits the car to open the door for the passengers in the backseat. A salarian hotel employee helps Jynt with the family luggage by putting them on a luggage dolly. Kaja always thinks it's wonderful to see a salarian and krogan working together. It's been over two-hundred years and a few krogan still dislike the salarians and the turians. More so the salarians for their government's view on the genophage cure. The species do get along politically and that is the most important thing. It's a give and take situation like all political relationships between the various races in the galaxy.

Kaja exits the car with Eric still clinging to her neck, asleep. Cass grabs Derek's hand as the family follows the salarian into the hotel. The salarian waits for the family to check-in, so he can take their luggage to their room. Derek stays by his parents' side while they stand at the front counter, waiting for the human to give them their room information and keys. The boy yawns loudly which causes Cass to look down at him. She pats him on the shoulder. "We'll be in the room soon, Derek. You can go to bed if you want."

"I'm getting sleepy, mom," says Derek when he leans against Cass' leg.

"I know you are," says Cass. She would pick him up and carry him like Kaja is carrying Eric, but Derek is too heavy for Cass. Kaja can only carry one child at a time. The boys are starting to get too big for Kaja to carry.

The human clerk hands Cass and Kaja their room key and wishes them a nice stay. She also reminds them about all the services the hotel offers and don't hesitate to call the front desk for anything. It's what she's there for, to help them with anything they need. The family gets into the elevator with the salarian pushing the dolly and go to floor eight. Their room is 815 and its to the left from the elevator. The salarian does his duty efficiently and quickly vacates the room.

Kaja walks over to a bed and puts Eric down. She pulls back the covers, removes his shoes, then covers him with the sheets. She kisses his forehead then says, "I love you, Eric. See you in the morning." The youth mumbles something, but Kaja doesn't understand anything he's saying. She doubts he knows what he's mumbling.

Derek hops on the bed after taking off his clothes to change into his pajamas. Kaja walks over to Derek's side while Cass walks over to Eric's side. Kaja tucks Derek in and tells him she love him. Cass does the same. She moves from one side of the bed to the other telling her sons goodnight and she loves them.

Kaja and Cass move to the living area which is away from the beds. The room design is perfect for families. Parents can stay in the living area and not disturb their kids sleeping unless they get loud. All rooms have a 'L' shape to them with the bathroom located between the two beds and living area. The living area has a three-cushion couch with square tables on each end. There is a large monitor attached on the opposite wall from the couch. The rooms have a variety of different extranet channels to watch and one is the boy's favorite cartoon channel.

Cass flops on the couch, kicks her shoes off and curls her feet under her. Kaja sits next to her bondmate and takes Cass' feet in her hands and starts rubbing on them. "I tried to contact Liv at home before we docked. No answer. Her office isn't far from the hotel. I want to go see if she's still at work. I hope not, I hope she's out having a good time and not at home not answering her incoming calls. SecureTech means everything to Liv. I just need to check on her. I'll be back soon. Plus, a walk will do me some good." Kaja leans closer to give Cass a kiss.

A soft moan escapes Cass' lips. "Want me to order you some room service and have it here when you get back? Need to think, Kaja?" asks Cass. Since they met, Kaja walks when she needs to think about things and Cass is sure Kaja needs to think about the Jimmy situation. Not only does Cass understand Kaja's need to walk, but doesn't blame her if Jimmy is what she needs to walk and think about.

"Yes and yes. I don't plan on being gone long. I'll walk to her office building, if she's there, I'll let her know we are here for the weekend and I want to get together tomorrow after we take the boys to the statue and museum. Derek can't get seem to get enough of either. He does it with the statue at home too." Kaja kisses Cass again. She keeps rubbing on her bondmate's feet.

"He's so proud to be related to the galaxy's biggest hero. Sorry, sweetheart, we both know it's true," replies Cass.

Kaja slides out from Cass' feet to stand. "I know, Cass. I've always been proud of my parents. Dad especially. Mom always portrays herself as one of dad's crew. Even though dad always said she couldn't have done what she did without mom's help. The statue is the ground crew from the Normandy SR-1 and not just dad. I was there when they unveiled it. I don't remember it, but I've seen a few pictures from the ceremony and I'm in a few. I was three or four maybe. I love you. I'll be back. Get me what ever from room service."

Cass grins at Kaja's comment. "Okay, quiche it is."

"Oh, yuk. Lucky for me, quiche isn't on the menu.," replies Kaja as she heads to the door. She winks at Cass then leaves.

"Damn" Cass snaps her fingers, "That's right. This hotel doesn't serve it. "I love you too. I'll wait for a bit before calling room service. I'm going to read the new book I got a few weeks ago and never started," replies Cass as her wife starts to leave. Once the asari leave, Cass goes through her bag with a few data pads in them. She finds the one with the book and curls up on the couch and starts reading it.

Kaja exits the hotel, heading towards Liv's office. Her thoughts fluctuate from Jimmy to Liv to Cass and their kids to her new assignment she starts a week from Monday. She hopes this weekend away is enough to keep Cass calm once they get back home, so she can drop the boys off at school and not worry about their safety. The longer Kaja thinks about Cass being terrified, the more Kaja wants to go after Jimmy on Omega and not wait for him to come to Elysium. To do that, she would either have to quit her job on the IPD or take a family leave. Jimmy is having a negative effect on her bondmate and Kaja isn't liking it one bit.

The asari stops and leans over a railing looking at the pool below to calm herself down. She's getting angry at the entire situation. She not mad at anyone in particular,well except for Jimmy. Kaja isn't just mad or angry with him. She also wants him gone and to stay gone. The only way that happens if he is dead. The feelings she has for Jimmy bother Kaja, she has never wanted to kill anyone before and she does want to kill Jimmy. _Maybe this is how mom felt after giving dad's body to Cerberus and her going after the Shadow Broker back in 2185. I don't know if what I am feeling is normal, but Goddess, I want that fucker dead. _Kaja feels on her left shoulder, feeling the uneven muscle and scar tissue from getting shot almost twenty years ago. _This is because of you, Jimmy Nichols and I'll never forget it either._

Tears start to form in the asari's eyes when she realized what she is thinking and knows she's a better person than that. Kaja fiddles with her wedding band on her left ring finger, thinking about how much her family means to her. They mean everything and she'd do anything to protect them. Even put her own life on the line to protect her bondmate and their three kids without hesitation. She knows it is something her father, Leia Shepard, would do. Her mother too. Kaja says softly to herself, "I'll do my duty, dad. I promise." She wipes her eyes dry with her shirt sleeve then continues her walk towards her sister's office.

Walking by Rose's Cafe, Kaja notices a vending machine and heads towards it to get something to drink. Three asari and a human female are sitting at a table talking after eating their late dinner when Kaja walks by. The human says loud enough for Kaja to hear, "Hey, Kaja. Where's Cass?"

Kaja stops, turns towards the table, her face lights up with joy. "Hey Tracy. Cass is at the hotel watching the boys." Kaja scans the table to see her sister, and her two friends from college, Jena and Breia. She grabs a chair from an empty table and sits next to her sister. Hugging Liv, Kaja says, "I was just going to your office to see if you were still working. I called the apartment while in queue to dock and got no answer."

Liv hugs Kaja tightly, "Good to see you, sis. You okay?"

Kaja smiles at Liv, "Yea, I'm good. I'm more worried about Cass and her reaction to everything. Passed my test. I found out earlier this week. I'm transferring to the police academy a week from Monday." Not wanting to seem rude, Kaja turns to face the two asari at the table. "So, Jena, Breia, how are things with you two?"

Jena sips her wine before answering, "Oh, I'm great, Kaja. Once we get past this little hiccup, things will get back to normal. You'll see."

"I'm ready to hit a few clubs, get drunk, and dance the night away before we head back to Thessia tomorrow," replies Breia.

"Now that sounds like a plan, Breia. Lets go," says Jena as she downs the last of her wine. "Doc, Breia and I will contact you when we get back to Thessia. It gives us time to think about a few things and then we can brainstorm our ideas in a vid call." Jena looks at Kaja when she stands. "How long are you and your family staying?"

Kaja answers, "We're leaving Sunday morning sometime before noon. Why?"

Jena pats on Kaja's shoulder, "So I know when I should call your sister." Jena moves to Liv to give her a hug. "We'll talk on Sunday. Afternoon good?"

"Yea, that's good. Thanks Jena, Breia," replies Liv as she hugs Jena back.

Breia smacks Liv's arm, "Enjoy the weekend, doc. You deserve it. And don't pay any attention to the idiots on the news. They're full of it and everyone here knows it." Breia leans over so she can whisper in Tracy's ear, "Get her to go out and do something, please. Even if she hangs out with Kaja and her family. Don't let Liv mope around her apartment."

Tracy nods in response. She gives Liv an impish grin when Liv gives her a curious look wondering what Breia said to her. The two asari leave the table, so they can find a nightclub or two or three. Kaja notices the non-verbal communications between Liv and Tracy and wonders when they got back together. The older sister leans her arms on the table then asks, "Okay, what's going on between you two?" She looks at Liv then to Tracy as she asks her question.

"I'm being your sister's friend. That's all, Kaja," replies Tracy. The impish grin is still on her face and Kaja isn't buying her answer.

"Uh huh. Sure you are," says Kaja with a faux angry look on her face. She can't hold the look for long before she starts laughing. "It's good to see you, Tracy. Cass would love to see you too."

Liv's cheeks show signs of embarrassment. "Tracy's being a good friend when I need one the most."

Kaja grins at her sister and the human sitting at the table. "I wanted to let you know, we were here and the boys want to spend some time with their aunt tomorrow after we visit the war museum and mom and dad's statue."

"You staying at the Saffron?" asks Liv when Kaja stands and put her chair back to the table where she took it from.

"Where else is Cass going to stay? She loves that hotel. We're in room 815. Cass ordered room service, so I might want to get back before my food gets cold. You two are both welcome to come back with me. Cass would love seeing you both." Kaja leans to hug Liv again then moves to give Tracy a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow." Kaja leaves her sister and friend at the table to head back to the hotel. She walks to the vending machine to buy a water and drinks it while walking back to the hotel. She looks back at the table to see what type of interaction there is between Liv and Tracy. Seeing Liv move closer to Tracy brings a smile to Kaja's face, so she walks away before she watches long enough to feel like she is spying on them.

Liv scoots her chair in Tracy's direction. Suddenly she feels very tongue-tied, but has things she needs to say to the human next to her. Things she's been thinking about since Tracy walked back into her life last night plus what Breia said to her this morning. Liv takes Tracy's hand and holds it. "I was told by Breia this morning, I'm a shitty girlfriend. I know she's right, and I don't know why relationships are so hard for me. I'd rather work and at least you understand that. You being with me last night is making me realize I need more than work." Liv looks down then says, "I need you, Tracy. I...I..still love you."

Tracy is stunned and flabbergasted by Liv's words to her. She places her other hand on top of Liv's. "Breia is right. You are a shitty girlfriend, but you're a wonderful person. I've never stopped caring about you, Liv." She squeezes Liv's hand before saying in a joking tone, "At least you're finally admitting your a shitty girlfriend. It's the first step to realizing you have a problem."

Liv has a few tears in her eyes, but they're not flowing down her cheek. A slight grins appears on her face, "I'm sorry for everything. The long nights I stayed at work when you were waiting for me at a club, theater, or restaurant. I blew you off for work and what did that get me? Nothing, that's what I got. A lot of lonely nights at home because I was too stubborn to call you to ask you if you wanted to go and do something. Too ashamed to admit to myself, how much you mean to me. I can't make up for that, but I still want you to be my friend. I really do need you. I'll try to do better. I can't and won't promise you anything because I don't think that is fair to you."

"I'll always be your friend, Liv. What do you need from me?" asks Tracy as she looks into Liv's blue eyes. "Just tell me, Liv."

Liv is fighting the urge to grab Tracy and head back to her apartment for a night of passionate sex, but deep down Liv knows by doing that all she is doing is using Tracy for her own selfish wants and desires. She wasn't raised to do that to someone, but Olivia has done it enough to Tracy and she wants and needs to treat her like her sister treats Cass. Deep down she thinks she knows the answer to the question she wants to ask Tracy, but she asks it anyway. "Mind if I ask you something?"

Curious to what Liv is going to ask, Tracy answers, "Sure, ask me anything."

"Do you still love me?" Liv facepalms as soon as the words left her lips because she can't believe she just asked Tracy that question. "Don't answer that. Do you want to stop by the hotel and see Cass and Kaja before you take me home. If you want to take me home. No never mind, I'll take a taxi." Completely embarrassed, Liv gets up from the table and heads to the nearest taxi stand.

Tracy gets up quickly and goes after Olivia. Saying while she grabs Liv's arm, "Stop dammit. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I'm confused and scared Scared I'll hurt you again. I'm really bad at this. Go and see Cass. I'm going home. I'm sorry." Olivia turns to walk away from Tracy a second time.

Or Liv tries to walk away, Tracy grabs her arm before Liv can take two steps. This time she doesn't let go. "To answer your question. Yes, Olivia T'Soni, I still love you. Is that what you were expecting me to say, or were you expecting me to reject you? Just so you know, you can't hurt me more than you already have. I don't expect us to get back together, but I won't say no to that if it's what you want. I know you, Liv, all too well. This will pass, you'll dive head first into work and I will still be your friend. I don't see us remaining a couple unless you can give me more than you have in the past." Tracy lets go of Liv's arm to see what the asari does next.

"I know, Tracy, I know. It's why I'm sorry and why I'm feeling so ashamed because I've treated you like a toy to be played with and you mean much more than that to me. I wasn't raised that way and it's something Gaia would do. Tracy, I don't deserve your love and I don't really think I deserve your friendship, but I am grateful to have them." Liv hugs the human. "I need to go home. All I want to do now is what I did last night. Cry myself to sleep."

"No, Liv, you're coming with me to visit with your family then I'll take you home. I told you last night I would see you through this and I will. I promise. Anything else, the balls in your court." Tracy wraps her arm around Liv.

Liv doesn't move when Tracy starts to lead her to Tracy's skycar. "I can't face my sister right now. Please go and have fun. I just want to go home."

Tracy runs her fingers through her hair thinking about her next move. Does she go to visit with Cass and talk to Kaja about Liv or go home with Liv and maybe talk more? Does she force Liv to go with her to see Kaja and Cass? She points her finger in Liv's chest. "Look, Olivia, stop being so damn stubborn. You don't need to go home and mope. Which is exactly what Breia asked me to make sure you don't do. Even your friends from Thessia know you well enough to know you don't need to be alone."

Liv walks over to a bench and sits down. Her head is down, thinking about what Tracy is saying. _How did I get here? How can I be in love with her and still treat her like a sex toy? Dad would be so disappointed in my behavior. Gaia might not give a shit about anything but herself, but I always thought I was better than her. I guess not. Why can't I commit to a relationship? What am I so afraid of?_ Liv covers her face with her hands and starts weeping.

Sitting down next to the asari, Tracy places her arm around Liv's shoulders. "It's okay, Liv. I'll take you home."

"Will you stay?" asks Liv in a voice so soft, Liv isn't sure if she said it out loud or just thought it. She has much more to say to the human, but wants to finish this talk in a more private setting.

Tracy answers, "Of course, I'll stay." It takes every ounce of willpower Tracy has to not give Liv a kiss. She feels the torment radiating from the asari. What Tracy doesn't know how much of it is work related or is it because she showed up again? She does hope it's more the former than the latter. The last thing she wants to do is to cause Liv any grief.

Together they walk to Tracy's car then head to Liv's apartment. Liv stares out the window and remains silent during the drive home. Her thoughts are on how does she begin to make things right with Tracy. Her parents and Kaja amaze her. They are able to handle a relationship. She'll never figure out how her mother knew at such a young age she wanted to settle down with her father and start a family. She loves Kaja's kids to death, but isn't ready for kids at this stage in her life. She is looking forward to seeing the twins tomorrow. A grin appears on her face when Liv thinks about her nephews.

Tracy notices the grin and wonders what Liv is thinking about. What ever it is, it's improving her mood and that makes her happy. Tracy's goal is to help Liv through this professional crisis. She'll do just that, help Liv through this. Descending from the driving lane, Tracy parks the car in the lot near Olivia's apartment building. Before opening the doors, the human reaches over to squeeze Liv's hand. "It will be alright, Liv. You'll see."

Olivia glances at Tracy, wondering if it is even worth it to even try. She's unsure if she has the mental fortitude to focus on work and her dysfunctional relationship with the human. Her mouth opens, but no words are spoken. Liv decides to wait until they're in her apartment. She wants to tell Tracy everything or what she feels is everything. The only thing she manages to say is, "Thank you," before exiting the vehicle.

They walk to the building, Liv inhales deeply when they get in the elevator to take them to the ninth floor. When they get inside Liv's apartment, Liv walks to her bedroom to change out of her dress and into a t-shirt and sweatpants. She returns to the living room, turns on some soothing classical music, then flops in a chair, waiting for Tracy to return from the kitchen. Tracy brings two bottles of Thessian ale, she hands one to Liv. "Here, Liv." She sits on the couch next to Liv's chair.

Liv takes the beer, "Thanks." The asari takes a large drink from the bottle. "Tracy, I realized something today." She sits back in her chair and puts her right ankle on her left thigh. "I'm no better than Gaia. I always thought I was more like Kaja than Gaia. I'm not. I've treated you and every other person I've ever gone out with like a toy." Liv downs the rest of the ale then sets the empty bottle on the coffee table. "I feel like shit, Tracy. I'm not sure what I can do to show you how sorry I am."

Liv goes to the kitchen to get another beer and it's the last one. "This is the last beer. Want it?" asks Liv when she sits back in the chair.

"No, you can drink it. I only bought a four-pack last night and I had one last night and one tonight. The other two are yours," replies Tracy. She isn't sure what to say to Liv and she doubts very much Liv is done talking, so she sips on her beer and just listens.

"Thanks." Liv can't look Tracy in the eyes, so she looks at the coffee table instead. Another thing her father taught that didn't take. Looking people in the eyes even if you are in the wrong. Downing half the bottle, Liv sets it on the coffee table then looks at Tracy with great sadness in her eyes. "I really don't know what I should say besides I'm sorry over and over. I'm nothing more than a slightly nicer version of Gaia,"

Tracy starts laughing. "Oh, you're nothing like Gaia. If you were anything like her, I wouldn't be here. I can't stand Gaia. She's a self-centered bitch that thinks the galaxy owes her. You don't think or act that way. Look at how she talks about Kaja and Cass. I was glad when you two stopped talking because it meant I didn't have to hear you bitch about her bitching about Cass."

"I said nicer," responds Liv.

"No, you said slightly nicer and you're still wrong. You're nothing like Gaia. Trust me on that. What is really wrong, Liv? I've never seen you like this before," says Tracy. She takes another sip from her beer.

"You come back into my life as a friend and all I can think about is having sex with you and that is making me feel guilty about seeing you as nothing but a sex toy. I don't understand why I treat you the way I do. I do love you. Maybe I don't know what love really is and all I am feeling is nothing more than decadent desires." Liv finishes her beer and is feeling the buzz from drinking them quickly. She takes the two empty bottles to the kitchen and tosses them in the trash. While in the kitchen, she grabs a chilled bottle of Serrice Ice Brandy from the freezer and pours herself a glass, downs it, then pours another before returning to the living room.

Tracy sits, thinks, and sips on her beer unsure what to think about Liv's confession. She should feel angry, but she doesn't. All she feels is numb. The human downs the last of the bottle then puts it on the table. When Liv returns, Tracy says, "Well, we have a problem then don't we, Liv? If I'm nothing more than a sex toy, well, then maybe I should go. I didn't come over here to have sex with you. All I wanted was to be your friend, to support you when you need it most and now I'm thinking you are incapable of handling that. No wonder you like the saying 'no strings'." The numbness Tracy was feeling a minute ago has turned into resentment and anger. The urge to slap Olivia is growing, but Tracy gets off the couch, grabs her empty bottle, then tosses it in the kitchen trash.

Liv follows her to the kitchen. "Please, don't go. I'm only being honest with you. What happened yesterday has forced me to look at what I've been doing the past few decades and I'm not liking what I am seeing. I...I'm sorry."

Tracy turns and slaps Liv across the face, "Sorry isn't good enough, Liv. I can't believe you think of me that way. You're worse than some of the men I've gone out with." She steps closer and gets into Liv's face and points her finger in the asari's chest. "Is that why when I lived on Elysium, it was easier for us to be together? Because I was light years away and when we did see each other, all we did was have sex for days? Is it?"

Liv looks away ashamed, "Yes." Another slap hits Liv's cheek. Her reaction is the same as the first slap, none. She deserves every slap Tracy gives her plus more. That is how she feels. The asari isn't even sure if she wants to be around herself at the moment and is surprised Tracy hasn't stormed out. Maybe, just maybe, there is is a smidgen of a chance they can at worst, remain friends.

"Look at me Liv. How can you think of me as a toy and then say you love me? HOW? How can you say things between us were different than anyone else you went out with? If I'm nothing but a toy the same as them? HOW?!" Tracy is about to slap Liv a third time when she realizes how much agony Liv is in. The asari can't even look at her. "I said look at me, dammit!"

Olivia looks at Tracy with tears rolling down her cheeks. "I don't know how I can do that. I honestly don't. Maybe I keep people at a distance because I worry about people only wanting to be with me because of who my parents are. Maybe I'm not mature enough for any type of relationship. Some times life slaps you in the face and you finally see what an ass you've been to those you care about. I think that is where I'm at, Tracy. I see what I've done to you and I'm ashamed. I wasn't raised this way. My father would be so disappointed in my personal life, in me." She hangs her head. "I can't even face Kaja, let alone my mother. In a way, I'm glad my dad's gone, so she doesn't see the mess my life has become."

"Do you honestly think I care who your parents are? I care about you not your last name." says Tracy with tears in her eyes.

Shaking her head, Olivia answers, "No, I don't. Don't think for a moment there isn't someone out there wanting me or my sisters because of our parents. Kaja found that out the hard way. I always tried to use my family's name to my advantage. Not run away from it like Gaia did or attempt to follow in dad's footsteps like Kaja. I followed mom's path and I went to school, got a few degrees then started my own business. Now, I think it grew too big and I can't keep up with everything like I should. It's what I need to talk to Jena and Breia about. It's their company as much as its mine. We started it together after I earned my PhD."

Liv still has the drink in her hand. She starts to down it. Instead she dumps it in the sink, sets the empty tumbler on the counter, then sits at the kitchen table. "I have to change how I live my life. Working all the time isn't as fulfilling to me like it used to. I'm too scared sometimes to go to a club to just meet and talk to people. Especially since Kaja found out about Karrera. I always feel safe with you and that is always why I would contact you. You were safe and always willing to have sex with me. There was always something more to you, Tracy. My feelings for you are more than lust. But that is the only thing I ever truly acted on."

"What made you decide to finally tell me these things? Dammit, Liv, all I wanted was to be here for you in a non-sexual way then you turn around and you throw this shit at me. What am I suppose to think?" asks Tracy when she finally sits across from Liv at the table. Liv is still unable to look Tracy in the eyes.

Hanging her head, the asari shakes her head subtly. She looks up at the human sitting across from her. "Seeing you again, Breia telling me off in a way this morning, going by the war museum and statue on the way to and from seeing the Council today, and seeing Kaja tonight was the last piece I needed to tell you everything. It's the only thing I can think of to start making amends. I'm sorry, Tracy, I really am. If you don't believe me, I won't blame you. I'm an awful person." Liv wipes her cheeks with a napkin.

Tracy moves to the chair to Liv's right to put her arm around Liv's shoulders. "I should hate you. But for some reason I don't. Actually, I feel sorry for you."

"You shouldn't," replies Liv.

"Well, I do. Maybe part of this is my fault. I felt shortly after moving here you were not going to commit to any thing more than a few hot sex filled weekends every few months. Yet, I allowed it to continue for two more years before we broke up the last time and you stopped talking to me completely. My gut told me yesterday, you needed my company as a friend. I think I was right about that. Now, I'm starting to think showing up yesterday was a mistake. I don't want to compound your troubles, Liv. You have enough to deal with from the fallout with the prison break."

Liv blows her nose in the napkin she used to wipe her face. "No, that's just it. You're not compounding my problems. You're doing what you intended to do, to comfort me and you've done that. I want you in my life, Tracy. I want to show you how much you mean to me. If you're willing to bestow upon me the opportunity to do so. I don't expect you to give me another chance, but I'll do my best to care more about your needs and less about mine."

"Do you think Gaia ever has those types of thoughts or feelings about anyone else besides herself? I'm just asking because you said you're just like her," remarks Tracy as she smooches Liv's cheek.

A slight grin appears on Liv's face, "No, I suppose not. You're too good to me."

"Then I was right, you're nothing like your bitch sister. Sorry, no, no, I'm not sorry. If we're being open with each other then let me say this. I hate your sister, Gaia. I didn't like her entourage standing guard in front of your mom's house during Kaja and Cass' wedding. When there were police present as actual invited guests. And yes, I realize that was almost twenty years ago, but it rubbed me wrong back then and my hate for her has grown since. And some of her vids flat out suck. I love Kaja and Cass to death. And we're going to the museum tomorrow with them. I want to spend some time with them too. I have no desire to be within a light year of Gaia." Tracy leans close to whisper, "Yes, I am too good to you. And only god knows why I put up with you. There's something about you, Liv, and I'm happy to be your friend."

"Goddess, Tracy, don't make me laugh. The incident on Earth after Kaja got custody of Karrera was the beginning of the end for me talking to her or remaining neutral. Gaia forced me to go with her when I wanted to spend time with Kaja, Cass, and get to know Karrera a little more," says Liv with a hint of laughter in her voice.

Tracy smiles at Liv, thinking, how can one person be so infuriating and so sweet at the same time? "At least your laughing a little. What am I going to do with you, Olivia? I still want you even after everything you said tonight." She does something deep down she knows she shouldn't, she leans closer to gives Liv a tender kiss.

Liv pulls back from the kiss quickly. "No, don't. We shouldn't. Kissing leads to other things." She waves her hands as she speaks.

A content grin appears on Tracy's face as relief washes over her. Liv's reaction tells the human, she really wants to make things right between them. That isn't the reason for the kiss, she's been wanting to do that since last night and finally gave in to her temptation. She doesn't regret doing it either. "Come on, lets watch a vid and curl up together on the couch. You okay with that?" asks Tracy as she gets up and offers her hand to Liv.

Liv takes Tracy's hand then stands. She gives the human a tight hug. "Okay, but no funny business. Tracy, thanks for staying. You're helping more than you know and I appreciate it a great deal. If you want, we can spend the whole day with Kaja and Cass and the kids. I love those boys to death. Karrera too. She's turning into a smart bright young maiden. Kaja is so proud of her too. Wait, she didn't say Karrrera was with them did she?"

"No, she didn't. She just said Cass was watching the boys. Isn't Karrera on the debate team?" asks Tracy.

They walk back to the living room, Liv turns off the music then turns on the viewer and looks for a vid to watch. After finding one, Liv sits next to Tracy on the couch. "Yes, she is. I think Karrera is with my mom and stayed behind because of a debate she has soon. She's serious about winning her assign topic and spends her free time at home working on them. Or she's with them and Kaja didn't mention her. Suppose we'll find out tomorrow."

"Gee, I wonder where she gets that determination from," jokes Tracy when she takes Liv into her arms as the vid starts playing.

"She's a T'Soni, that much is for certain. Even if her last name is Tradere," replies Liv as she leans into the human next to her.

Liv's body relaxes and she starts feeling tired. The confession to Tracy has worn Olivia out. The computer expert feels a weight has been lifted from her shoulders and that is a good place to start. Liv's main concern is her business, but she's not alone with that. Jena and Breia will help to make sure they get through this with their business still intact. They might scale back and let a few contracts expire then see what happens. For the next few days, Liv is going to push work to the back burner and concentrate on being a better friend to Tracy then hope things can grow from there.

–

A/N: I have finished writing this story. This chapter is about the half-way point, so I will still only post one chapter a week. I do have a few shorts in mind that are set during this story.

I do plan on a few more shorts before formulating a new multi-chapter story.

I'd like to comment on a few reviews I received. About Liara's network and her not wanting to go after Jimmy, keep reading and you'll see how that plays out. Liara is conflicted because I, as the author, don't want her using her network to aid or help her family. If it happens all the time, do it once, it starts to snowball, someone might notice and figure out who the Shadow Broker is. Liara and her network do play itself out in future chapters, so stay tuned.

Now about human pronouns. Yea, that's is tricky. The boys hear Kaja refer to her father as dad or graddad, so naturally they call Shepard granddad. Yes, it does sound odd. But no more odd to me than them calling Kaja momma. I have a unique family make-up and the pronouns sound out of place. Kaja isn't going to call her father, momma like the twins call her. Karrera isn't going to call Cass mom or step-mom. She's her step-parent. Step-dad doesn't work when Kaja is her father.

There is more to come, chapter 6 is next week. Enjoy.


	6. Chapter VI

Chapter VI

Derek and Eric are up before their parents. They're sitting next to each other watching Derek's favorite cartoon, _The Justice Code_, on the extranet. The asari cartoon is about a Justicar named Doreen and her fight against injustice in the galaxy. Derek loves the cartoon because it reminds him so much of his momma with her being a detective and putting away the bad guys. Just like the asari Justicar in the cartoon.

Eric eats his dry cereal and drinks his milk and Derek thinks his brother is weird because that is the only way he eats his cereal No pouring milk over the cereal. Eric doesn't like soggy food, especially soggy cereal. Cass and Kaja always makes sure the boys and Karerra when she's with them has something to eat if they get up before they do. Usually it's dry cereal and milk, like today. The boys know not to wake their parents unless it's necessary. "Ah, Derek, not this episode again. Doreen almost gets killed then she magically beats the criminal in the end. We watched this one a few days ago." He points to the monitor.

"I know, it is one of my favorite episodes. Your Aralakh cartoon comes on after this one, so stop complaining," responds Derek to Eric's complaining.

"So, I want to watch _Ish, Boy Genius_. It's on another channel." protests Eric. "Derek, please, we've seen this one too many times and Ish is a new cartoon."

Derek moves his jaw from side to side making a funny face while thinking if he wants to change the channel or not. "Okay, we'll watch Ish." The older twin by twelve minutes changes the channel to watch the cartoon Eric wants to watch.

"Thanks." Eric drinks the last of his milk. He takes the bottle to the trash and puts the empty bowl on the round table in the corner next to the mini-fridge.

While the two brothers watch the Ish cartoon, Kaja and Cass cuddle in bed. They can vaguely hear the boys in the other room, but neither parent pays too much attention because it sounds like they are getting along and not fighting over what to watch. Cass lifts her head off Kaja's shoulder to place a soft kiss on the asari's cheek. "Maybe we should get up."

"Nah, they're behaving. Or it sounds like it. Besides, I like lying here with you. Feeling better?" asks Kaja as she squeezes Cass then kisses her bondmate's lips.

Cass' tongue duels with Kaja's tongue as their kiss deepens with each passing second. The human finally breaks the kiss to says, "Yes, but don't think he's not still in my thoughts. But I am handling it better. Maybe it's because we left and I doubt he'll ever come here. I still scared, Kaja."

Kaja strokes Cass' graying hair. "Good, I'm glad you're feeling better. I sure you are still scared, Cass. I'm good, so, we're good. Okay?"

"Okay. I love you, sweetie." Cass puts a tender kiss on Kaja's cheek then lies her head back on the asari's shoulder.

"I love you too," responds Kaja as she wraps her arms around Cass to hold her close.

There is a knock on the door. Eric and Derek look at each other. Eric gets off the couch and looks down the hallway to the beds. His parents are still lying there. He shrugs at Derek. There is another knock on the door. Derek walks over to the door and jumps to see if he can see through the peephole. No luck, so he grabs a chair and climbs on it to look out. He sees an asari and a human female waiting outside the door. Derek says at the door, "I'm not allowed to open the door for anyone."

Liv says, "So, get your momma or mom to open the door, silly."

"They're still in bed. You're going to have to wait, aunt Liv." Derek is trying to keep from laughing. He motions to his brother to get either parent.

Liv puts her face near the peephole, so the only thing her nephew sees is her blue-eye. Tracy is snickering behind Liv. "Geez, they behave more every time I see them," comments Tracy.

"Well, Kaja got mad at Eric a few visits ago for opening the door for me when her and Cass were still lying in bed together and they went home early because of it as a lesson to the boys. Harsh, I know, but they have behaved since. Which is probably what they are doing now. It's almost 0900 and I know they usually are up by now," says Liv. She reaches out to squeeze Tracy's hand.

Derek looks out the peephole. All he can see is Liv's eyes. "You're goofy, aunt Liv. Eric went to go get momma and mom. I'm still not opening the door."

"I'm goofy? Well you're silly." replies Liv. She hears Derek giggling through the door.

Eric walks closer to his parents lying in bed, "Ah, mom, momma. Aunt Liv is at the door. Can we let her in?"

Cass looks at her son and smiles at him. She's glad he is remembering the lesson from a few months ago. "Yes, you and Derek may let Liv in. We'll be out there in a few minutes."

"Thanks mom," says Eric, who is now all excited. He runs back to the door to let Derek know they can let Liv in and not get into trouble for it.

Kaja looks at the clock, it reads 0903. "Well, she's here early. I wonder if Tracy is with her?"

"That would be nice if she is," says Cass when she finally gets out of bed. "I'm headed to the bathroom to take a shower."

Kaja runs her hands over her head tentacles before getting up to put a robe on so she can greet her sister. "Okay, I'll let Liv know we still need to get ready. Room service for breakfast or out some place?"

Cass answers before she closes the bathroom door, "Out some place. I'm sure the boys had the cereal we left for them."

"True," replies Kaja when she leaves the bedroom area. "Morning, Liv, Tracy. You're here early."

"Not that early. It is after 0900, you're being lazy like always when you come here," teases Liv before she hugs Kaja.

Kaja hugs her baby sister back. "That's why we come here, to relax and enjoy ourselves. Cass jumped into the shower. Had breakfast yet?"

"Yes, we ate before coming over," answers Liv.

Derek moves to Kaja so he can give her a hug. "Morning, momma. Can we go see the statue now?"

Eric shakes his head at his brother, "You and that statue of granddad and grandma. Can we not see it for once?"

Liv looks at Kaja, who just shrugs and doesn't show any emotion one way or another on the topic. Kaja smiles at Eric, "You don't want to go to the museum, Eric?"

"Not really, we always go there and I want to do something else this time," says Eric bluntly.

Tracy remains silent and sits in a chair. Liv grins at her sister and her nephews and sits on the couch close to Tracy. Kaja thinks quickly then asks, "Where do you want to go then, Eric?"

Eric shrugs his shoulders, "I don't know. Anywhere else."

"Okay, we'll stay here then and not do anything. Sound good to you, Eric?" teases Kaja with a grin on her face when she looks at her son.

Shaking his head, Eric says, "No, no. I want to do something different this trip." He looks over at his brother. "Is that okay?" asks the younger twin.

Kaja kneels down in front of Eric and Derek. She gives each a hug before replying to Eric's question. "Yes, it's okay that you want to do something else." Kaja turns her attention to Derek. "Maybe we can compromise some and just take a quick visit to the statue then do what Eric wants to do. Okay, Derek? He's right, we always go there when we come here."

"Okay, momma. Next time?" asks Derek with a cute grin on his face. A grin that usually yields him a positive response from his parents.

"We'll discuss that later." Kaja pats the top of Derek's head then stands up. She glances towards down the hallway and sees Cass exiting the bathroom. "Okay, you two, time for you both to take a bath and get ready to go and do something. We don't know what it is yet, but we'll figure it out soon enough. Right, Eric?"

Eric hugs Kaja, "Yup, loves you, momma." He then heads to the bathroom to get ready to do something, what that something is, he isn't sure.

Derek hugs Kaja too then follows his brother to the bathroom. Eric already as the water running in the tub when Derek enters the bathroom. Cass watches everything from the hallway and checks on the boys to make sure they don't over fill the tub and actually take a bath and not horse around and not wash themselves. The tub is big enough for two adults, so the boys have plenty of room to wash and play in the tub together.

Tracy finally says something, "I have an idea and I think the boys would like it."

Liv and Kaja both look at the human sitting in the chair, Kaja asks, "Yea, what?"

"Liv, have you seen the ad for that new miniature golf course that is becoming very popular here on the Citadel? They might be busy and there is a good chance we might have to wait to play, but I think they would like it. Just throwing it out there," responds Tracy with a grin.

Liv shakes her head, "No, I haven't, but that does sound fun. I can't golf, but I can try to get the ball in the hole."

"Hey, great idea, Tracy. Yea, I think they would like that. Let me run that by them." Kaja makes a beeline to the bathroom. "Perfect, you're in here too." She kisses Cass' cheek. "Tracy had an idea she thought you two would like." Kaja points to her sons in the tub.

Eric and Derek both say in unison, "Yea?"

"Do you want to play miniature golf?" asks Kaja.

Cass nods she approves. "I like that idea. I'm going to talk to Tracy and Liv." She smooches Kaja's cheek then leaves the bathroom.

The twins look at each other. Something they've not done before, and both nod excitedly to their momma. Eric says, "Yes, please. Right Derek?"

"Oh, yes, momma. That sounds fun. Too bad Karrera isn't with us. She's going to miss all the fun," says Derek then he splashes water in his brother's face.

"Knock it off, Derek. Both of you, wash and get cleaned up. Don't forget to brush your teeth. I still need to shower yet before we can go," says Kaja with a stern tone in her voice. She leaves the bathroom to gather her clothes for the day.

By the time Kaja and the boys get ready to leave, it's almost 1100. The first place they head to is a restaurant for an early lunch. As much as Eric wants to do different things this trip to the Citadel, he and Derek always want to eat at the same two or three restaurants. Today, it's Mick's Grab-bag. It's conveniently located in the Shalta Ward which is where the miniature golf is located.

Mick's Grab-bag is busier than normal and there is a ten to fifteen minute wait for a table. The boys are dead set on eating their kid's grab-bag special cheeseburger with a mystery prize in every bag. Every bag has something different. Surprisingly, they don't fight over the toys they get. They add them to their collection and every toy gets played with by both boys.

Tracy comments, "I bet the new miniature golf is bringing more people here. The place is just down the street." She points towards the people standing in line waiting for their turn to play the elegant eighteen hole course. With the heavy traffic, the owner is already looking to expand to add another eighteen holes. It will give people a choice on which course they want to play on and lower the wait time.

"Well, looks like there's a wait there too. Are you both sure you want to wait in line before you can play?" asks Cass.

"Yes, mom. Isn't it like Adventure Park at home? We have to stand in-line to ride the rides. Isn't that the same thing?" asks Derek.

A little chuckle is heard coming from Kaja. Cass raises an eyebrow to her wife. "Yes, Derek it's just like that."

"Lets go stand in-line then. I wanna play," demands Eric.

Kaja stands next to Eric and puts her hand on his shoulder, "Don't you want to eat first? I don't know about you, Eric, but I'm hungry."

"I can always eat, momma," says Eric as he rubs his tummy with a silly smirk on his face.

Liv can't help but laugh at her nephews. "Here I thought only Derek was the silly one. Looks like Eric is silly, too."

Eric stops rubbing his stomach and snaps his head in Liv's direction. "I'm not silly. He's silly." He points at Derek then to himself. "I'm weirdo. Or did you forget that, goofy?"

Liv puts two fingers over her mouth, tapping one finger on her lips, thinking, looking at one boy then the other. "Yes, you're right. You are the weirdo, Eric. I did forget. Please, forgive me." Liv places her hands over her heart dramatically. Tracy snickers in the background.

"I forgive you, goofy," says Eric as he hugs his aunt.

Cass and Kaja exchange snickers and glances with each other as they both watch Eric's interaction with his aunt Liv or goofy as the boys like to call her. There is one thing for certain. The twins love their aunt Liv and love coming to the Citadel to visit her. Cass moves closer to Kaja. She whispers, "Is it just me or is there something going on between Tracy and Liv again?"

Kaja gives Cass a look which say no kidding. She answers softly, "Yes, I think so, but neither has confirmed it. Let me get Liv alone and I bet I can find out." Kaja winks at Cass with a smirk for good measure.

Cass rubs on Kaja's upper arm in response then moves around her wife so she can stand and talk to Tracy. She starts to say something to Tracy when the host informs them their table is ready. The salarian shows the family to their table, gives each a menu plus an activity book with a four-pack of colored markers to each boy. While the adults look over the menu, Derek and Eric are busy playing with their activity book. Eric is connecting the dots for the restaurant's mascot, a clown with blue curly hair holding a grab-bag. Derek is coloring a random picture in the book.

Kaja orders the boys their usual meal, a kid's cheeseburger grab-bag. Derek hopes this time they get the princess toy, so they can use her with the fantasy setting they've created with their other toys. The boys love the toys in the meals and they never get the same toy twice. Kaja gets a steak sandwich. Cass orders a chicken sandwich, same as Liv. Tracy orders a double-cheeseburger.

Eric looks at Tracy in amazement when she orders a double-cheeseburger. "No way will you eat all of it, Tracy." He draws a thought bubble above the mascot's head and writes in it No way! He shows the picture to Tracy.

Tracy whispers to Cass, "Do you mind if I get something for your little beggars if I can prove to Eric I can eat the double? Which I can."

Cass asks, "What do you have in mind?"

"Game of their choosing," answers Tracy.

"Sure," responds Cass.

Tracy leans closer to Eric. Close enough for her to playfully poke him in the chest. "I bet I can eat it all. If I can, you and Derek can pick out a game and I'll get it for ya."

Derek's attention is peaked when he hears game. He whispers to Eric for him to take the bet. Eric asks, "What do we get if you can't eat it all?"

"You can tease me for the rest of the day that you were right and I can't eat a double-cheeseburger," responds Tracy with a big grin on her face. "I think I can and it's a win-win for you and Derek. Deal?" She offers her hand to the young lad.

"Deal," says Eric as he shakes Tracy's hand cementing the bet.

Their food arrives quickly as per the norm for the restaurant. The boys get excited when Eric's meal contains the one toy both have wanted for months, the princess. They high-five each other then continue to each their lunch. The adults at the table grin at the two boys and keep their conversation to anything but what is really going on. They think this is just another trip to the Citadel to visit their aunt Liv and Tracy not a trip to calm their mother down.

Tracy puts the last bite of her double-cheeseburger back on the plate then pats on her stomach like she is full and can't finish her cheeseburger. Derek takes notices and points at Tracy while smacking Eric's arm. Before Derek can say anything, Tracy winks at the youth then eats the late bite. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, "Well, you little beggars, I hope you know what game you want. It looks like you lost the bet."

Eric and Derek say, "Yea!" in stereo. Eric puts his arms up in victory. Kaja snickers at her sons and at Tracy. Cass and Liv both smile and chuckle at the boys.

The line for the miniature golf is long, but the line is moving at a nice steady pace. The closer they get to the cashier, the more excited the boys get. Because this is Tracy's idea, Derek and Eric both bombard her with questions. Some Tracy has answers for, some she doesn't, which disappoints them. They are slowly figuring out, adults don't always have all the answers to everything and you have to figure some things out for yourself.

The human working the counter gives everyone a putter they can use. Everyone gets a different color golf ball. They let the boys pick first. Eric picks the dark green ball. He claims it's the winning ball. Derek rolls his eyes then picks the light blue ball. Liv picks the color representing her mood, black. Tracy grabs the bright pink ball, while Kaja hands Cass the yellow one and she takes the dark blue one. Tracy takes the score card and writes everyone's name on it.

The course has a unique combination of mythical creatures from all corners of the galaxy. Eric's face lights up like a Christmas tree when he sees the course for the first time. Derek's mouth drops open as he scans the course from left to right then smacks Eric on the arm when he sees a dragon with flames shooting out its mouth. All the holes are a Par 3. However, getting in the cup in three strokes is harder than it looks.

As the boys are finding out the hard way. Derek hits the ball too hard and it bounces off a peg and rolls back at his feet. Kaja works with him and Eric on hitting the ball softer and when they do hit the ball softer, it doesn't bounce off the obstacles on the course as much. No one is getting the ball in the hole in three strokes, but everyone including Liv is enjoying their time playing miniature golf. No one is sure how, but Cass has the lowest score. Tracy teases Cass about winning saying she cheated some how and the twins start laughing at the exchange.

Liv takes Tracy off to the side, "I'm going to steal my sister and head to my apartment while you and Cass with the boys go shopping for the game you promised them. I need to talk to her and I'd rather do it privately."

"Go to my apartment, Liv. It's around the corner," says Tracy.

"You sure?" asks Liv. The asari still feel horrible, but is grateful Tracy is being gracious. "I know where you live."

Tracy senses Liv's apprehension about using her apartment, "Yes, I want you to. It's okay, Liv. Really." She rubs on Liv's upper arm and smiles at the time. "Here's my key," says Tracy as she hands Liv the swipe key.

"Thanks, Tracy." Liv takes the key and puts it in her pocket then grabs Kaja's arm. "I need to talk to you. Tracy's going to take the boys and Cass to buy their game and they'll meet us at Tracy's apartment."

Kaja nods, "Okay." She turns her attention to the twins. "I'm going with your aunt Liv while you two go with your mom and Tracy to buy your game. Surprise me with it? Okay?"

Eric says, "Okay. Any game we want?"

"Yea? Any?" asks Derek. Both boys are excited about getting a new game. Their birthday might have been two months ago, but they always want something new and exciting to play with.

Kaja looks up at Cass who doesn't give her any non-verbal clues then looks at Derek and Eric. "Yes, but only if your mom okays it first." She gives her sons a hug then Cass a kiss and hug. "See you all soon."

Cass and the boys follow Tracy's lead. She claims to know where a nice toy store is in the area, Derek has his doubts. Eric has a little doubt, but she did eat her double-cheeseburger and a salad. So, he doesn't doubt Tracy as much as Derek does. Kaja follows Liv to Tracy's apartment, so the two sisters can talk.

Elysuim

Liara T'Soni sits at her desk, looking at the manifest from the salvaging vessel on the findings in the Omega system. It's mostly SecureTech property, but they also found two bodies. One salarian and one human. She rubs on the back of her neck unsure what to do about them. She is one-hundred percent positive the salarian is Derk and is certain the human is Liv's employee, Ian. Liara sends instructions to the ship's captain to take the remains to the nearest Council military vessel and turn them over and to tell them you found them while salvaging debris near Omega. If they want the find, hand it over, the Shadow Broker will compensate for any salvage lost.

Liara wants to help Olivia the best she can, but if the bodies found are who she thinks they are, it might help put Liv's company in a little better light public relation-wise. Maybe Ian didn't know Derk and Jimmy were on board, she shakes her head at the thought. Some how, Derk knew Ian was on the station and found a way to get on the shuttle. She brings her hand close to her chin, thinking. Maybe, just maybe, Ian didn't know about Jimmy and thought he was just helping Derk. That doesn't help Liv though.

So far, everything continues to point to Jimmy being on Omega. She's hasn't been able to locate his exact location, but she does know he is on the station and hasn't left. Liara did a thorough background search on Jimmy Nichols after his attack on Kaja and Cass. He worked for Eclipse and reported directly to Roma Sederis, the Eclipse leader. The asari forger/tech expert, Jimmy was sleeping with, went off the grid shortly before the Spctre took out Eclipse and Sederis. Even the Shadow Broker is having a hard time pin pointing the asari's location. Liara is sure, Jimmy will try to hook-up with her if possible. Find the forger, she might find Jimmy.

A pop-up reminder about needing to pick up Karrera from Jasmine's house appears in the lower right corner of the terminal screen. Liara smiles knowing she is going to spend some quality time with her granddaughter. As angry as Liara was with Kaja about Karrera, Kaja has made her very proud with how she not only handled the situation, but how she's raising Karrera. The young asari maiden isn't the same quiet asari she was less than seven years ago.

There are times when Liara wonders how much influence Cass has on Karrera. It doesn't matter, the longer Kaja and Cass are together, the more they remind her of her relationship with Leia. Both have patience to deal with twins boys at six-years-old. She can't wait to see how they are when they hit puberty. Liara has read up on human children behavior, so she'd know how to handle them or what to expect when watching them. They're not that much different from her daughters were at that developmental age. Kids are kids, it doesn't matter which species they are. They all do things they're not suppose to do because they are curious and learning.

Liara informs Glyph she's leaving for a while and to queue up anything about Jimmy Nichols, Derk, Ian, or SecureTech. Everything else is at its usual priority. Jasmine's house is a few blocks away, so Liara walks instead of driving. It's a nice day, she might as well get some exercise in and enjoy the sunshine. The area around the house she and Leia built over two-hundred years ago has filled-in with homes and a few businesses. There are times when Liara wonders if it is time for her to move again. With Kaja having kids, it hard for Liara to imagine moving away from them. At least while they're still young.

Jasmine's mother, Adele, opens the door when Liara rings the bell. "Hello, Dr. T'Soni. Please come in. Karrera and Jasmine are still working on their debates. We were going to watch a vid last night and all they wanted to do was work. I don't understand it. Asari their age shouldn't work so hard." Adele is over six-hundred years old and still holds a few older views on asari maidens and working at a young age.

Adele's view is the opposite of Liara's, who likes that when the younger generation works in normal jobs and not stripping or joining a merc band in the Terminus. Liara says when she enters the house, "They do take their debates seriously, I'll say that much." Liara smiles at the older asari.

"I'll go and let Karrera know you're here," says Adele as she shuts the door behind Liara then heads to Jasmine's room to alert Karrera her grandmother's here to pick her up.

"Thank you, Adele." Liara waits patiently by the front door for Adele to get Karrera. Maybe the two youths do spend too much time working on their debate topics, but Liara doesn't see the harm in hard work. Not when it comes to school. Maybe Adele doesn't mind if Jasmine dances at a club like Afterlife on Omega or work for a group like Eclipse. That is something she and Shepard never wanted for their children. Anything but that. Dr. T'Soni feels lucky, she has three daughters and all three found careers early in life, like she did before meeting Leia Shepard then becoming the Shadow Broker.

Karrera with Jasmine by her side enters the living room where Liara is waiting. "Okay, I'll call you tomorrow and I'll see if I can come over after dad and Cass get home and I'll help you it. It's the best I can do," says Karrara to Jasmine. She shrugs her shoulders and has a sympathetic look on her face.

"It's okay, Karrera. I'll figure that one part out. I'll see you at school Monday." Jasmine looks at her mom and gets a look which tells the youth they need to spend time apart and not work together. "Hi, Dr. T'Soni. Nice to see you."

"Hi Jasmine. Stuck on something?" asks Liara with a smile on her face.

Jasmine's face lights up when she talks about her debate topics. "Yes, but Karrera gave me a few things to think about and I think one works. I can figure it out."

Karrera stands next to Liara with her bag slung over her shoulder. "You sure, Jasmine? I don't mind."

"Yes, I'm sure," replies Jasmine. She gives Karrera a non-verbal cue with her eyes it's about her mother and them working too much.

Nodding, Karrera understands perfectly what Jasmine is saying to her. "Okay. See you Monday." She gives Jasmine a hug. "Thanks for having me over. Next time, my house."

Jasmine returns the hug. "Deal."

Karrera and Liara leave Jasmine's house and walk back to Liara's house. Liara asks once they leave the porch, "Adele says you and Jasmine would rather work than watch a vid. It is a weekend, you do need to relax some, Karrera."

"Jasmine was stuck and I was trying to get her unstuck. She's still unsure about it. Her mom wanted to watch a vid we didn't want to watch." Karrera shakes her head in disgust thinking about the vid. She scrunches up her nose like she's smelling something bad.

Liara stifles a chuckle when she sees her granddaughter's facial expression. "What was the vid?"

"_Tamberry Park: A Love Quest. _It's something I don't want to watch. She has bad taste in vids," replies Karrera. "Good call on walking over, grandma. It's a nice day." She gives Liara a hug as they walk down the street. It's always a nice day to Karrera if the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. They walk a block before Karrera asks, "Why is Cass so upset all of a sudden. I know dad told me to be extra careful around people I don't know and told me the person responsible for her shoulder escaped prison. But why is this bothering Cass so much?"

Liara keeps her arm around Karrera's shoulder after the hug. "I'm not sure if I'm the person you should ask, Karrera. Have you asked your dad about this?"

Shaking her head, Karrera answers, "No, she's busy keep Cass calm. I notice things, grandma. I have noticed Cass acting differently since Thursday night. I get a feeling this guy did something to Cass back then."

Liara takes a few more steps deciding if she should tell Karrera more details about what happened twenty years ago. The youth has already started figuring things out on her own, so Liara answers, "Yes, Karrera, you're right. He did do something to Cassandra and that is why she is upset."

The youth furrows her brow, thinking about her grandmother's answer. What ever he did to Cass, it upset her very much and Karrera doesn't like that idea. In the few years she's been with her father and Cass, the human has shown her more love and guidance then her mother ever did in the previous thirty-nine years. She loves the human as much as she loves her father. Her mother was right about one thing, her father and how she is someone you would be proud to have as a parent. Karrera is that, proud Kaja is her father and not another drugged-out asari. Kaja treats her like any loving parent treats their kids. She's the same with the twins as she is with Karrera. Cass is exactly the same, a loving parent.

Karrera thinks about when she asked her dad about her uneven shoulder when she first arrived on Elysium. "Dad said she got shot protecting Cass. But that's all she ever said. I didn't ask any more questions about it. I thought that happened long before I got here and all I cared about was figuring out where I fit in and if I could trust my dad."

Liara squeezes on Karrera's shoulder. She teases her granddaughter, "And where do you fit in?"

Karrera leans against Liara. "I fit in great. Everything improved after I moved here. Thanks for that, grandma."

Liara kisses Karrera's temple. "You're welcome, Karrera. I think that has more to do with your dad and Cass than me. What do you want to do today? Vid? You can pick. I don't care what it is. I get a feeling we won't be watching any love stories."

"Ah, no, love stories." She scrunches her nose again when she mentions love stories. "There is a new horror vid I've wanted to watch, _The Reckoning Device_. It's about a mad scientist creating a device that turns everyone into zombie like creatures and a few brave people try to destroy it. It's your typical cheesy horror vid. We don't have to watch it if you don't want to."

Good cheesy fun sounds perfect to Liara. If Karrera wants to watch a cheesy horror vid, then they'll watch a cheesy horror vid. They turn the corner to walk a few more houses before they walk up Liara's driveway. "That sounds good, Karrera. I have an idea since it's such a nice day. Lets go into town and ride a few rides at Adventure Park, pick up a pizza, then watch your vid. I know you have a season pass correct?"

"Sounds great, grandma," says Karrera as she hugs Liara. "I love you, grandma."

"I love you too, Karrera. Go and put your bag in the house and we'll head to the park," comments Liara. She waits by her skycar for Karrera to put her bag in the house, so they can leave for a day of cheesy fun.

Karrera returns with a hop to her steps, which makes Liara smile. Evil lurks in the shadows, Liara knows this all too well. Karrera seems to understand there is a dangerous convict on the loose and that is a good thing. Liara knows the young maiden will do as her father instructs her to do. Keep an eye out when you're around people you don't know. Jimmy as far as Liara knows is still on Omega, but she is sure he won't stay there for much longer. Not with Kaja living on Elysium. He will come here soon enough. Until then, Liara plans on treating each day like a normal day. Or what is normal for her and her family.

Citadel

Kaja sits on the couch watching Liv pace around the room without saying anything. Liv's been like this since they entered Tracy's apartment. Kaja has wondered long enough to what is wrong with her youngest sister and says, "Either start talking or sit down, Liv. Your pacing around is making me dizzy."

Liv stops long enough to respond, "What?"

"Citadel to Olivia, Citadel to Olivia. You brought me here because you wanted to talk and all you're doing is pacing. What's wrong, Liv?" asks Kaja.

"Everything, Kaja. I don't know where to begin. I hope I can safely assume you know about the prison break and who is involved," replies Liv. She sits on the couch next to her eldest sister.

"You can. It's partly why we're here. I'm well aware Jimmy Nichols is out and I'm sure he'll show up on Elysium soon enough. I can't do anything until he does. This can't be about that or it is?" Kaja wraps her arm around Liv's shoulder then gives her a squeeze. "I needed to get Cass away from home to hopefully calm her down. She's been freaking out since she heard Jimmy broke out. The boy's school called me to get her to leave after dropping them off yesterday morning."

Liv leans forward, shaking her head, "Dammit, I'm sorry. I feel responsible because one of my employees helped them get off the station."

Kaja pulls Olivia in for a hug. "You're not responsible for Jimmy breaking out of prison. The only way you are responsible is if you helped Jimmy escape." She leans closer to whisper, "I doubt you'd do that." She then gives Liv a kiss her temple.

Olivia turns enough to look at Kaja, who is smiling at her. "Of course I wouldn't do that, but I have made mistakes, Kaja. Don't think I haven't."

"Who hasn't? I've made my fair share." Kaja waves her hand in the air and holds it up before nudging Liv. "Why do I get the feeling there is something you're not telling me? This can't be the only reason you wanted me alone," says Kaja.

Sighing heavily, Liv says, "It's not. I need to tell you a few things and I'm not sure how you're going to take it. Kaja, I always looked up to you when we were kids. You always looked up to dad, but I always looked up to you. I'm not saying I wanted to be you, because I don't. I always admired your grit and determination when things didn't always go your way. And the patience you had with me where Gaia had none. I think that is why you're such a good investigator, Kaja, and I know it's why you're a great parent to Karrera and the twins. Maybe some day, I'll be more like you and less like Gaia."

Kaja starts laughing loudly. "Goddess, Liv, if you think you're like Gaia, you are way off, sis. Way off. What makes you think you're like Gaia? She's so full of herself it isn't even funny. That isn't you, Liv. I'm flattered you look up to me, but sis, you've done more with your life than I have with mine."

"That's what Tracy said when I said it to her last night. Well, I'm no better than her. I've used people like she does, Kaja. People I care about,"comments Liv. There are tears forming, Liv wipes them away with her shirt sleeve. "Maybe professionally I've done more, but not on a personal level. I'm a complete failure in that area."

Kaja hugs Liv again. "Are we talking about Tracy?"

Liv nods her head, "Yes, I'm talking about Tracy. I'm not sure how I can fix it and I need your advice, Kaja. How do I prove to Tracy I am sorry for the way I've treated her? I can't even stand myself right now. I don't know how she or anyone else puts up with me."

"Well, first you tell her you're sorry and attempt to explain things. Tracy still loves you, Liv. I know she does because I can tell on how she was looking at you while we were playing miniature golf. Go out and have fun with her. It's all she wants from you, goofy," says Kaja as she bumps Liv with her body.

"I did that last night," says Liv as she rubs the tender spot on her jaw from where Tracy slapped her last night. "I don't know if she'll ever trust me again. I can't blame her if she doesn't. Kaja, I love her or I think I do. I don't know if I even know what love it and that bothers me." Liv bumps Kaja back then leans against her sister.

Kaja rests her arm over Liv's shoulder. "I don't want to know what you said to her, but I think it's obvious she still cares about you. Or she's not mad because if she was mad, I don't think she would have showed up with you this morning or let you use her apartment to talk to me."

Olivia feels the tears start to roll down her cheek. The more she thinks about how she has treated Tracy, the more guilt she feels. "I don't deserve her friendship, let alone her love. I've been horrible and I didn't even realize it until yesterday." Liv stands to walk around the room. She needs to move and talk. "I feel so ashamed, Kaja. All these years I thought I was better than Gaia and I'm not. Work isn't fulfilling as it once did. Since you and Karrera found each other, I've been more scared to date and I was too stubborn to call Tracy."

Kaja gets up and gets in Liv's way. She places her hands on her younger sister's upper arms. "Listen to me, goofy." A smile appears on her face when she calls Liv 'goofy'. She usually doesn't call Liv 'goofy'. That's the nickname the boys gave her about six months ago, but Kaja is trying to lighten Liv's mood. "Work less. I'm sure with everything going on with the prison break that is hard to do, but work less. Call Tracy. Tell her you want to go see a vid or go dancing. Or even a quiet night at home. I know you don't cook much, but attempt something simple. Give her more than you did after she moved here. You and I both know you can give her more. If you want to salvage your relationship with her, then you'll give her more than a few weekends here or there. That worked when she lived in Elysium, but it doesn't work when she's a twenty-minute drive away."

Liv is unable to look at her sister. Too ashamed to look at Kaja even though her sister is being nothing but supportive. She buries her face in Kaja's right shoulder then breaks down crying. Kaja wraps her arms around her little sister and holds her. Seeing Liv like this, makes Kaja glad she's with her and not just talking via comm link. "Tell me this, sis, did this all start because of the prison break?"

The computer tech pushes away from her sister and wipes her face. "Yes. I'm more worried about my company than I am about my relationship with Tracy, but it's my relationship with her that has me feeling so ashamed. Maybe those talking asshats on the news are right. Maybe I am too young to run a business. I can't even manage any type of relationship."

"Ha, asshats. I'm using that in the future." Kaja places both hands on Olivia's face, forcing her sister to look at her. "Don't listen to them, Liv. Don't. They are nothing but a bunch of loudmouths that don't know anything about you or what you're capable of." She presses her forehead against Liv's. "You're not alone, sis. I'm sure between you, Breia, and Jena, you'll figure something out. I have a feeling things will reveal themselves and it will shine a better light on SecureTech. Hell, do what other companies have done. Do a name change. Rebrand." Kaja backs away a half-step, "I know how the security works at the prison. I've never served there, but I know one commando who has. Your employee had to go through a few background checks to even get access to the prison."

"Yes, he did. I run a background check on everyone I hire. That didn't stop Derk Liphurn from creating a dummy account then siphon credits from a Council account to it. Oh, I forgot to tell you, Goddess, I'm sorry. I got a message from Derk saying Jimmy Nichols is out and going after another T'Soni. I know that is you. Please, Kaja, be careful. If anything happens to you or..."

Kaja interrupts Liv before she finishes her statement, "Jimmy escaping prison is not your fault. You hear me!" She pokes Liv in the chest with her finger. "It's not! I know he's out and I'm doing the best I can to be prepared for him to come after me or Goddess forbid, Cass or the kids. But I'm not dwelling on it and I don't want you to either. Worry about fixing things with Tracy. I want you to worry about that, not me. Besides, the prison contacted the Alliance on Elysium and I knew within thirty minutes after they made the jump through the relay he was out. I'm more worried about keeping Cass calm so she doesn't freak out the boys than I am about Nichols being on the loose."

"See, this is why I admire you so much, sis. You're calm and confident even though you know bad things might happen in the near future. I remember the look in his eyes when they took him away during his sentencing. I had hoped he would never get out. I'm scared for you, Kaja." Liv tries to smile, but is unsuccessful. She hugs Kaja tight. "I love you, sis."

Kaja hugs Liv back, "I love you too, sis. Don't worry. Things will work out. You'll see."

"Now, you're sounding like mom," chuckles Liv. "Thanks. I feel a little better." Liv puts a small gap between her thumb and index finger.

Kaja opens her mouth to respond to Liv when the apartment door opens and four humans walk in. Derek and Eric both look happy and content. Derek says, "Momma, momma, we got..."

"Pyjak Trap," finishes Eric. "Can we play now?"

Derek adds, "Please."

Cass looks at Tracy, "Mind if we stay here and play with them?"

Tracy leans her head to right with her right hand on her hip, "Seriously, Cass? You just asked me that?" She grins at Cass. "Only if I can play too. You okay with me, Eric? Derek?"

Cass opens the package and sets the GUI board on the coffee table and turns it on. The board lights up with each square highlighted. The game allows up to four people to play at once, so the adults are going to take turns playing with the twins. The goal is to get your pyjak around the board to steal the krogan food horde without getting caught in the trap that slowly gets built when a player lands on a build trap square. Some squares are a lose turn or move back 'x' amount of spaces, but most squares are good ones to land one. The players want the trap built then hope someone else gets caught in it.

The first game doesn't go as Eric planned. His pyjak got caught in the trap. Tracy raises her hands in the air in victory. The next few games go in the boys favor and each win one game. Everyone is enjoying the quiet family time at Tracy's apartment. Liv is really relaxing for the first time in days and she's glad Kaja and her family is with her and she's grateful Tracy is back in her life. The past few days have been rough, but it seems everyone is enjoying themselves.

That is what Kaja wanted most. For her bondmate to relax and her plan to get them away from home for a few days is working. So far, Kaja hopes Cass can continue to keep herself calm once they get back home and the boys are at school. The last thing Kaja wants to deal with is having to deal with Cass again like she did yesterday. The time starts creeping on 1930 when they finally stop playing the new board game. Kaja packs the GUI board back into the box. Everyone heads back to the Saffron Hotel for game of cards after the boys go to bed for the night. It's well past 0100 when Tracy and Liv head back to Liv's apartment.

–

A/N: It's Monday again, and time for another chapter. I do hope everyone is enjoying this ride. Five more chapters to go.

To respond to a few comments. The answers you seek are in upcoming chapters. Stay tuned. ;)


	7. Chapter VII

Chapter VII

Two weeks later

Elysium

Jimmy Nichols stares up at the Shepard statue at Shepard Memorial Plaza. He plays with a few strands of hair from his beard. He's been walking around downtown Illyria for the past few hours. Things have changed so much since he was here last, but then everything else in the galaxy has changed too. Including Jimmy. All the documents Corressa created for him have worked without question. He's been to several colonies doing things for Jax, not one question asked when they scan his ID.

He can't go to places like the Citadel and he has no plans on going there or Earth. Being in Alliance space is risky enough. He doesn't need to increase the risk factor anymore than necessary. Once he's done with T'Soni, he's headed back to Omega to work for Corressa. She's promised him a job if he returns. She gave him enough credits to do what he needs to do then return to Omega. Which is his plan. He plans on staying away from Council or Alliance space once he leaves Elysium. If he leaves. Deep down, he knows he may never leave Elysium alive. If he takes T'Soni out with him, he will have fulfilled his mission. Twenty years later.

A satisfying grin appears on Jimmy's face as he walks away from the statue. He is still trying to formulate the perfect plan to get at T'Soni. Walking up to her and shooting her will do in a pinch, but he wants to inflict some personal pain. With her having a family, it makes inflicting that pain easier. But who to use? All he wanted was to kill T'Soni and go back to Omega to tell Sederis the job is done and hopefully receive a bonus. No, things didn't work out that way.

This time, he's working solo. His biggest mistake was allowing his cousin and her lover to dictate terms when it came to their friend, Dr. Mitchell. No one is going to dictate to him any terms on how he deals with the couple. After talking about why he still wants to kill Kaja T'Soni, he realized part of why he got caught was because of Dr. Mitchell. 'No harm to Cass.' That is what they both said. Well, this time, he isn't making any promises to not harm anyone related to T'Soni. The kids are easy targets, but they're kids and he really doesn't want to deal with them. The asari daughter is older, but again, she's a kid. Because she is in her forties, he might use her too.

Jimmy walks back to the dank room he is renting in the low rent area. He picks up a few things to eat and a six-pack at a corner market two building down from the room his is renting. He sets the food on the counter, puts five beers in the small refrigerator, then opens and sips on the sixth. Grabbing the tuna sandwich, Jimmy sits at the small square table next to the wall. The two chairs are attached to the floor, but they do swivel. Or one chair does, the other is stuck in an awkward angle and is nearly impossible to use. He doesn't plan on having anyone over and only needs the one chair. The room is cheap and has what he needs. Bed, toilet, shower, and a refrigerator to store his beer and some food.

While at the market he also picked up a GUI map of Illyria. Jimmy's been in the colony for about thrity-six hours and already knows which schools T'Soni's kids attend. The asari daughter attends a private asari school, which is located closer to the history museum then their neighborhood. Which is where the boy's school is located. Jimmy highlights each building, including the T'Soni/Mitchell house. He also highlights Dr. T'Soni's house. That house is off-limits.

He grumbles when he realizes how close mother and daughter live to each other. That puts a minor kink in his plans. Sederis told him twenty years ago to give Dr. T'Soni a wide berth and he'll continue to do so. Looking at the map, he thinks his best place to nab either Dr. Mitchell or the asari daughter is when the daughter is either being picked up or dropped off at school. Jimmy drinks his beer while studying the map. He clicks on the asari school and a small pop-up window appears with basic details about the school. Drinking more from his beer, Jimmy wipes his face and thinks maybe he should see who picks the daughter up from school or does she drive herself.

Jimmy notices at the bottom of the info section, the school term ends on Thursday next week. If he's going to use the school as bait, he has to set his plan into motion next week. He looks at the info again looking at times. He looks at the clock on his omni-tool. Jimmy has thirty minutes before the school day is over. He downs the last of his beer, tosses the empty bottle in the trash, then gets in his rented skycar. Heading towards the school, Jimmy notices an abandoned building a few blocks from the room he is renting. He makes a mental note to look at it later.

The fugitive parks his car across the street and a few blocks away from the school. He puts on a fedora hat and sunglasses. Jimmy does his best to look like a tourist out for a walk. A block from the school is a small park and next to the park is Illyria's biggest cathedral. Jimmy walks through the park, looking up at the bell tower on the cathedral's highest peak. Too bad he doesn't have access to a sniper rifle, he could pick off several people from atop that bell tower. He shakes his head at the thought. As fun as that sounds, he's not there to do something irrational like Charles Whitman did back in the 20th Century.

There is a bench next to a flower bed which faces the street with a perfect view of the school. Jimmy sits on the bench, watching casually the school's front entrance. There is one thing he notices as observes the school, security guards. _Crap! Of course it has security. It's a private school. The museum has security too. Think, Jimmy, think. It's possible. You broke out of prison, you can do this._ He gets off the bench, walks across the street then heads towards the school.

One guard has Jimmy's build and he wants to take a closer look to see if he can pass for the guard. He stops to tie his shoe or pretend to when he see who he thinks is Karrera Tradere. He fiddles with his lace long enough for the youth to notice him, he follows her. Jimmy accidentally on purpose trips into the guard who has his build when he sees a human who looks like an older Dr. Mitchell talking to the asari he was following. The guard is older like Jimmy which makes taking his place a little easier. Jimmy swipes his omni-tool over the guard's ID to get the information from it. It takes Jimmy less than ten seconds to get what he needs and the guard never noticed the glow from Jimmy's omni-tool.

The escaped convict continues to walk away from the school. He leaves his car parked for the time being and walks around the corner, so he can watch the school. As Cass and Karrera get into Cass' skycar, Jimmy makes a note of the make and model of the car. Once, Dr. Mitchell drives away, Jimmy crosses the street and gets into his own car and heads back to his room to make more plans on how to proceed forward. Does he want to deal with Dr. Mitchell and the asari or just Dr. Mitchell. Less is more. Or so Jimmy thinks. Fewer people involved makes it easier for Jimmy to come out ahead.

He turns the skycar around and heads to the museum instead. He wants to see what the security looks like in the parking lot. Now he knows what car Cass drives, he is sure he can pick it out in the museum's parking lot. The car does have a dent on the rear bumper. Jimmy parks his car in the visitor area and walks around the building to the side where the employee lot is located. He sees two, no three cameras, but no guards outside. He hopes they are only located inside the building and don't patrol the parking lot. He is sure that is what the cameras are for and only one person inside watching the monitors. If they are actually paying close attention to everything.

It's been in Jimmy's experience, not every security guard takes their job serious enough to pay attention every second they are working. The guards at the prison did, but underpaid private security guards do not. Nichols hopes this is still the case. Galactic views and technology may change over time, but people's behaviors usually don't changed that much. He's hedging his bets this is the case with the museum security.

He decides to look around the museum. He is a tourist after all. Jimmy stops to look at the pictures of the museum's board of directors and the curator, Dr. Mitchell. A grin appears on his face as he walks to the cashier to pay the fee and walk around the museum. Cass' picture on the wall confirms what Jimmy thought. The asari was T'Soni's daughter and the human with graying hair who picked the asari up was Dr. Mitchell. He spends about two hours in the museum, long enough for him to see Cass return from picking Karrera up from school. He wonders if she does that every day or just today. Time will tell and he has plenty of it. As long as he doesn't cause problems or gets either finger printed or retinal scanned.

Dr. Mitchell exits the employee area talking to the volus, Dr. Fawe, about the newest artifacts she wants to go over and the shipment is expected first thing in the morning. Jimmy grins at the exhibit he is looking at or he hopes that is what others around him to think he is smiling at the exhibit, but he is really grinning because tomorrow is a golden opportunity to see how tight the security is. He might have to try the diner across the street to have breakfast tomorrow morning. He has heard the diner has excellent food and is open early and stays open late.

Jimmy leaves the museum, heading to check out the abandoned building he saw earlier. He is looking for a place to set-up an ambush for T'Soni. Abandoned buildings work great for that. Especially factories or warehouses. They usually have lots of space and plenty of places to hide or lay down traps. He parks his car around the corner from the building. The windows are either boarded up or broken and some are both. A side door is slightly ajar, so Jimmy pushes the door open enough for him to squeeze through. Turning on the light from his omni-tool, Nichols shines it in the corners. A few rodents scatter when the light shines on them. There is rodent droppings everywhere and the building stinks like dead animals.

Walking around the building, he pushes on the floor with the heel of his boot to make sure they're solid. Last thing he needs is for the floor to give way under him. The building works in a pinch, but he hears too much foot traffic outside for this to be an ideal location to set-up any type of ambush. He hears a few kids outside daring each other to enter the building. Jimmy smiles when he hears them. It's something he would have done as a kid and it doesn't surprise him any, kids today still do dumb stuff. Like go into abandoned buildings.

He thinks as he heads back to his rented skycar, maybe he should start looking outside the city limits for a hideout. The neighborhood the T'Soni's live in is barely within the city limits. Maybe a trek through the mountains is in order, after he watches the museum in the morning. The more he looks around and thinks about how is wants to do things, the more he thinks his best place to grab Cass is at her work. Trying to take the asari daughter at her school poses a risk. Doing anything near their neighborhood poses a bigger risk.

Risks are something Jimmy wants to keep to a minimum. The escaped convict does try to learn from his mistakes. He enters his room, turns on the lone light, grabs a beer and the beef jerky imported from Earth. He sits at the table, turns the GUI map back on, and spends his night studying the map and making his plans for kidnapping Cass and how he will lure her asari wife out into the open. She's a member of the local PD, so she will have backup with her. He takes that into account when he starts making his final plans. This weekend he will spend time doing more recon and locating a secure place to stash Dr. Mitchell.

Citadel

Dr. Olivia T'Soni leaves work early to try and surprise Tracy at her apartment. Liv is trying her hardest to do what Kaja advised her to do, work less. It's been easier to leave work at a normal hour since a salvage vessel turned over Derk and Ian's body almost two weeks ago. Some of the stolen equipment has also turned up on the black market. Too bad all SecureTech equipment is encrypted and unusable with other devices or software. Anyone getting anything with the ST logo gets unusable equipment. That was something Breia thought of shortly after SecureTech got more than three contracts. It has worked to perfection over the past century.

Liv stops by a florist to pick up a mixed-bouquet of lilies and tulips. The salmon/green tulips are ugly in Liv's eyes, but Tracy finds them attractive. That is what matters, what Tracy thinks. The computer tech never fully understood exactly how selfish she's been with Tracy or anyone else until she started putting Tracy's needs before her own. She's done a lot of soul-searching since Kaja and Cass came for their surprise visit. She doesn't like what she sees in herself, but she is determined to change. She's doing it for Tracy, but she's doing it mostly for herself. So she can stand to look at herself in the mirror.

As she walks up to Tracy's building, Tracy is standing near the entrance, talking to a human male. Liv has never seen him before, but that doesn't surprise the asari any. She is sure there are many people Tracy knows that she does not. Tracy doesn't look happy and neither does the guy Tracy is talking to. Her arms are animated as is her body language. Liv stops a few meters from the two arguing and just listens. So far, neither has noticed her presence.

"Look, Ray, I told you this the last time you showed up. I'm not going out with you. And I'm not sleeping with you," says Tracy with major annoyance in her tone.

Liv doesn't like what she is hearing, but remains silent. She takes a few steps backwards and puts more distance between her and Tracy.

Ray gives Tracy a hurt look, "Oh, come on, Tracy. You always enjoyed my company before. What changed?"

Tracy shakes her head at Ray. She looks to her left and sees Liv standing there with a bouquet of her favorite flowers and makes eye contact with Liv. "I enjoyed your company a year ago, Ray. Then you cheated on me with your ex. I told you back then to take a hike. I'm not going to be used like that. I told you this a few months ago too. Get the hell away from me, Ray. I don't have time for the likes of you." She puts her finger in his face, but doesn't touch him.

He slaps her hand away from his face. "You don't have time for me, but I bet you have time for that asari over there." Ray points to Liv. "Don't ya?"

Seeing Ray raise his hand to knock Tracy's hand away from his face, Liv moves several steps closer, positions her body in a defensive position, flares her biotics, but doesn't say anything. She just keeps her eyes on Ray.

Tracy doesn't respond to Ray's question, but she did notice Liv's reaction to him slapping her hand away. She turns her back to him and walks into her apartment building. Ray glares at Olivia, mumbling something about how the asari always get the good ones then he walks away. Liv waits until Ray leaves the area before the blue aura around her dies down then she enters the building. Tracy stands at the entrance watching Ray to see if he does or says something to Olivia. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Liv."

Handing the bouquet to Tracy, Liv stammers, "Ah...hmm...I got these for you. If I remember correctly, these are your favorite flowers." Liv stands there with an uneasy look on her face. She feels like she should have left and not listened to Tracy and Ray's chat. She feels worse knowing Tracy's been used by others too.

"Thank you, Liv. Are you coming up or are you just going to stand there? Ray is an ass and I can't believe he just showed up like that when I've told him repeatedly, I don't want to see him," says Tracy as she sniffs a tulip.

Liv follows Tracy to her apartment. "Tracy, let me ask you this. Why is it okay for you to wait for me outside my office, but it's not okay for Ray to show up at your apartment? What's the difference?"

Tracy puts the flowers into a vase and puts water in it then sets the vase on the coffee table. "The difference is, you never told me to stop contacting you. You just stopped returning my calls, so I stopped calling. He knows I don't want to see him and he still shows up. See the difference?"

"I suppose. Tracy, do you feel like going out and doing something tonight?" asks Liv.

"No, Liv, I don't feeling like going out." Tracy smiles at Liv. "I would love for you to stay though. I'll cook us dinner."

Liv's mind processes the events slowly. She's unsure what to do next. Unsure what to feel. After hearing Tracy tell Ray off, Liv is more confused to why Tracy still cares about her. She's treated Tracy no better than Ray has. "Ah, okay, maybe I should go home. Suddenly, I'm getting very confused and I need time to figure out why."

Tracy covers her mouth when it dawns on her why Liv is confused. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry." She moves closer to the asari, hugs her tight, them cups Liv's cheeks with her hands. "I love you, Olivia. I've already forgiven you. Plus, you're trying to make amends. I can't ask for more." She places a soft kiss on Liv's cheek then whispers, "You never cheated on me."

A faint smile appears on the asari's face. "No, I've never cheated on anyone. I wouldn't do that, but I did use you for my own desires. I don't see how I'm any better than Ray."

Liv has a point and Tracy knows it. Tracy needs to phrase her response in a positive way because she senses she's about to lose Liv to the asari's own guilt. If that happens, she may never get Liv back again. "Okay, answer me this." Tracy hopes this doesn't cause Liv to panic and leave, but she's going to ask her question anyway. "Did you come over to just have sex with me? I know that is all Ray wanted."

Shaking her head, Liv answers, "No. I wanted to surprise you by leaving work early and seeing if you wanted to go out and do something. I'm trying to be a better girlfriend."

"I know you are, Liv, and that is why you're better than Ray. Plus you brought me flowers." Tracy places a soft kiss on Liv's lips. "Liv, you've been great these past few weeks. I can't ask for more." She runs her fingers over Liv's cheek then pulls the asari close.

Olivia wraps her arms around Tracy's neck. "I'm sorry." She buries her face in Tracy's shoulder and starts crying.

Tracy holds Liv tighter, but doesn't say anything. She wishes Liv hadn't heard what she said to Ray. Ray needed to hear it, but Liv didn't. Her left hand rubs on Liv's back, trying to comfort the asari. "You didn't need to hear what I said to him. For that, I'm sorry."

Liv pushes back from the embrace, she looks into Tracy's eyes. She's unsure what to say, unsure what her feelings are anymore. All Olivia's feelings are mixing, intertwining together, and slowly turning into something too big for her to handle on her own. The bad press caused by the prison break is calming down. SecureTech isn't in the news as much, but Liv is still worried when it comes to losing the contracts she wants to keep. A few contracts they are going to let expire and not renew, but SecureTech's major clients are the different Council agencies. Liv doesn't want to lose those contracts.

The asari is still worried for her sister, Kaja and her family. There hasn't been any sign of the escaped convict and the longer he's on the loose, the harder it is on the authorities to find him. She still feels she made a mistake when keeping Ian as an employee, but hindsight is always twenty/twenty. Liv gives Tracy grin, still unsure what to say. It is bothering her that Tracy's been used by someone else and is confused on why. She wants to continue to try to fix things between them and at the same time, she wants to run away and dive back into work.

For the first time in Olivia's young asari life, she is facing adversity and she's realizing, she isn't handling it very well. Liv sits in a chair, leans forward with her elbows on her thighs and her hands clasped together. She looks at Tracy, who sits close to Liv on the couch. "There's no need for you to be sorry. I feel like I'm going to explode emotionally, Tracy." She reaches out and puts her hand on Tracy's. "I'm still worried about my company. I'm very worried about my sister and her family. Until they find him, I'm going to worry about them. I thought everything was going good in my life. Then in an instant, everything changed. I'm not handling things very well."

Tracy squeezes her hand to let Liv know she's listening and everything is okay. A slight smile appears on the computer expert's face. "I shouldn't ask, but I'm going to anyway. I want to head back to my apartment, so I can contact someone I can talk to about things. I feel the sooner I do this, the better. Let me make us dinner and you stop by my apartment in a couple of hours? That will give me time to pick something up for me to make."

"Only if I can watch you actually cook and not pick up take out food," jokes Tracy.

"Hey, now, I only did that once. You've seen me cook before," remarks Liv with a little jest in her tone. This is why she likes Tracy so much. Tracy has a quirky way to lighten things at times and this is one of those times.

"I've seen you boil a pot full of water dry," jokes Tracy. She leans closer to caress Liv's cheek.

Liv rolls her eyes at Tracy's comment. "Yea and why was I distracted when I let the pot boil dry?

The human puts a finger to her lips to think about the question posed to her. "Oh, I remember now. Yea, yea. I distracted you. It's all my fault," says Tracy as she gestures with her right hand. "Are you okay, Liv?" asks Tracy in a serious tone.

Liv stand up then pulls Tracy close for a tight hug. "I hope so. I'm trying the best I can, but I need more help. Do you want anything in particular?"

Shaking her head, Tracy answers, "Nope. What ever you feel like cooking, Liv, is fine with me."

Liv gives Tracy a soft kiss on the cheek then leaves for the market to pick up a few items to make a simple dinner for her and Tracy before heading back to her apartment. She thinks as she leaves the building how much she cares about Tracy and what that all means. Computers and math logic are easy for the youngest T'Soni. Figuring out her feelings for the human is becoming more complicated. She really does want to continue to try to salvage things with Tracy, but at the same time she wants to run away. Running away isn't something they do in Liv's family and she knows it. They face their problems head-on and deal with them.

Elysium

Kaja cleans up the kitchen after dinner. Eric sits on the counter next to his momma, putting away the plates and glasses after she dries them off. Helping with the dishes is a chore the boys rotate with Karrera. They also have other chores like dusting and cleaning their bedroom on the weekends. They usually do the not-fun family things on Sunday as the boys call it. Dusting and cleaning their room are not fun. Derek doesn't see the point to putting their toys in a big box once a week to make their room look neat when all he and his brother are going to do is get the toys from the box and play with them again.

They're not allowed to keep toys lying around the house. When they're done playing with them, they have to return the toys to their bedroom. That way no one is stepping on something in the middle of the night. The toys don't always get picked up like their suppose to and either Kaja or Cass kick something early in the morning before the kids are awake. They usually pick the toy up and put it the boy's room and never say anything to them about it. The boys do try to keep the toys in their room and not in the living room.

Derek sits at the kitchen table, drawing a picture of his momma in her police uniform. "Momma, you're not catching the bad guys anymore, are you?" asks the older twin. He stops drawing to look at Kaja.

"No, I'm not. I'm teaching others to catch the bad guys. Is that good enough, Derek?" asks Kaja as she hands Eric the last plate for him to put in the cabinet. She gives her son a kiss before he jumps down.

Eric walks past Derek, smacks his arm, and says, "You're it." He quickly leaves the kitchen, heading to their bedroom.

Derek moves his jaw to the right, giving him a weird look on his face. One that looks like he is deep in thought. "I guess so, but don't you want to catch the bad guys?"

Questions, the kids are always asking them. Why this? Why that? More times than not, Kaja or Cass have the answers they are looking for. Some questions have no clear answers and those are what being part of the galaxy is all about. Or what Kaja tries to tell the boys if she doesn't have the answer to curb their curiosity. The vague answers don't always work when they are wanting a cut and dry type answer. Kaja sits at the table across from Derek. "That's a very good picture, Derek. To answer your question. Yes, I want to catch the bad guys, but I also want to be home more. So, I can spend more time with your mom, your sister, your brother, and oh yea." She playfully pokes Derek in the stomach, "You."

Derek giggles when he gets poked. "I like you being home, momma." He leaves the finished picture on the table, hugs his momma, then heads to his bedroom to play with Eric.

Kaja picks up Derek's drawing for a closer look. It says 'Momma' across the top and poorly drawn asari with a cop uniform on. A bright yellow badge on the left side and he even has the three stripes on the upper sleeves just like Kaja's uniform. The only thing missing is her pistol on her hip. She gets up to put the drawing with Derek's other drawings on the refrigerator.

Cass walks in the kitchen to see her bondmate with the new drawing. "Derek draw another picture?"

"Yes, he did," replies Kaja. She hands the drawing to Cass.

Looking at Derek's drawing, Cass smiles then places it on the refrigerator. "He does like to draw and most of his drawing are of you." She kisses Kaja's cheek then hugs her wife.

Kaja returns Cass' hugs then leaves her arm around Cass' waist. "I know he loves drawing me and I think that's neat. He asked me if I don't want to catch the bad guys. I think me teaching instead of being on the streets is a little disappointing to Derek."

"He likes you being home more. I know that much and so do I," replies Cass before she kisses Kaja. "I called your mom about watching the kids tomorrow. She suggests we drop them off tonight, so we don't have to deal with them in the morning."

"I like her suggestion." Kaja kisses Cass. "It will give us a little alone time," a cheesy grin appears on the asari's face.

Cass playfully slaps Kaja's upper arm, "You have a dirty mind and I love you for it. I'm going to get the boys ready to take them to your mom's house and you can tell Karrera."

"Sounds like a plan." Kaja playfully slaps Cass' ass before she goes to find Karrera, so she can let her know she is spending the night at her grandmother's house.

Karrera sits at her desk, studying for her finals next week. Kaja knocks on the door before entering her daughter's room. "Hey, what are you working on?"

"I'm studying for my finals next week. Need something, dad?" inquires Karrera as she turns her attention away from her studies to give her father her full attention.

Kaja sits on Karrera's bed. "Yes, I do. You and your brothers are spending the night at your grandmother's house because Cass and I both have to work tomorrow."

Karrera gets up to shut her bedroom door then sits back at her desk. She moves her chair so she can face her father, "If I'm old enough to stay home by myself, why do I have to spend so much time with grandma these past few weeks. Don't you trust me, dad?"

Kaja leans forward and puts her hand on Karrera's thigh. "Yes, Karrera, I trust you, but this has nothing to do with trust. I trust you to watch your brothers like you did until a few weeks ago, but you know the situation has changed and Cass and I both need to know you and your brothers are safe. I trust you, Karrera, please don't think I don't."

"If you trust me then please explain to me what happened twenty years ago. I've asked and all I get is vague answers. I need to know. Why is Cass so afraid? She's calmer now than she was two weeks ago, but she's still afraid, dad. I can sense it."

Sighing softly, Kaja thinks about how does Karrera need to know. Her daughter is smart, observant, and the vague answers are no longer working. The Jimmy situation has forced Kaja to do the one thing she never wanted to do. Hide things from her children, like her parents did at times when she was growing up. "I'm not sure where to begin. I came home on shore leave. I went to the amusement par and that is where I met Cass. I rented a small apartment down the street from Cass' apartment instead of staying at your grandmother's house for the two months I was on leave. One night, I was walking Cass back to her apartment from mine when we got ambushed."

Kaja stops talking to see Karrera's reaction. The youth is listening carefully, so Kaja continues, "One was Cass' friend. She's the one who shot me. Cass' friend was helping her cousin to kill me." Kaja pauses again so she can watch her daughter's reaction.

Karrera shows a little shock, but doesn't seem unsettled by it. "I don't understand. Why would Cass' friend want to hurt you? And what did you do that made him want to kill you?" She is not surprised if some criminal wants to hurt her father. After all she is a police officer and puts the criminals behind bars.

Kaja rubs the dimple between her lower lip and chin, thinking how to explain why Cass' friends tried to kidnap her. "Well, the one who shot me, did it so she could join Eclipse. The reason Jimmy wanted me dead is because Jimmy's boss was someone I got kicked out of the asari military, so she held a grudge. I also interrupted a meeting that caused him some grief. I didn't think anything about it at the time, but I must have pissed his boss off again. Jimmy Nichols is dangerous, Karrera. I got shot because Jimmy was trying to kidnap Cass. I put him in a stasis field then his cousin shot me. The only reason I'm still here is because another friend of Cass' shot the other friend. She was in on it too, but had a change of heart when she saw us together. I don't know why she took part in the first place. That is why Cass has been terrified and that is why you've been spending more time with your grandmother than before." Kaja pats Karrera's thigh.

Karrera hugs her father. "I'm sorry you and Cass went through that, dad. Thanks for explaining it to me. I thought something bad had happened. Grandma said as much, but I didn't know what it was. I'll pack a few things. Can I at least walk there without you or Cass coming with me?"

Hugging Karrera back, Kaja answers, "Yes, but don't be surprised if Cass watches you the two whole minutes it takes for you to get there." She kisses her daughter's forehead. "You can take your brothers with you. Deal?"

"Deal. I love you, dad," replies Karrera. She moves her chair back to its normal spot next to her desk. She gathers a few items to take with her.

"I love you too, Karrera." Kaja leaves the room to find Cass. She is helping the boys pack a bag. Since it's only for one night, Cass is having them put everything they want to take with them into one bag.

Eric asks, "Can we take our new game with us? Grandma hasn't play it."

"Yes, Eric, you can take your new game. I'm sure your grandmother will have fun playing it with you," answers Cass.

Kaja motions for Cass to follow her, which the human does. Kaja smirks at Cass. "I told Karrera what happened in a little more detail." Cass gives her a disappointed look. Kaja talks with a soft voice, so the kids don't overhear. "I know, we didn't want to tell them, but Karrera knows you're still scared, Cass. She asked about it and I'm tired of hiding it, so I told her."

"What did she say?" asks Cass. Her voice is barely a whisper.

"That she was sorry that happened and thanked me for telling her. Let her walk the boys to my mom's. We've stopped letting her watch them. If Jimmy wasn't loose, she would be watching them tomorrow. We need to continue to give her our trust. She has earned it. It's a Friday night and she was studying for her finals next week." Kaja caresses Cass' cheek.

Cass moves closer to kiss Kaja. "Okay, but I'm watching from the front porch."

Chuckling, Kaja says, "I told her as much."

Derek and Eric are ready to go to grandma's house. Eric has their new game, Pyjak Trap, and Derek has the bag with more toys and some clothes. Derek says, "We're ready to go, mom."

Cass smiles at her sons then to Karrera when she appears in the hallway. "Karrera, are you ready?"

"Yes, ma'am," replies the young asari maiden.

Kaja hugs both boys then her daughter before they leave for Liara's. Cass hugs Karrera then her sons before she watches Karrera lead them to their grandmother's house. Once they enter the house, Cass goes hunting for her wife. She finds Kaja lounging on their bed, lying on her right side with her hand propping up her head. Cass flops on top of Kaja and ravages her with kisses as she hastily undresses the asari. They finally have some quality time alone without any worries about one of their children needing them for something and Cass isn't going to waste even a second of it.

Neither is Kaja, before their clothes hit the floor, she starts their meld. She feels Cass' fears and Cass feels Kaja's fortitude. After a few seconds, all their feelings intertwine with each other and turns into a wondrous feeling of contentment. Kaja's strength and love overpowers all the negative feelings Cass had before their meld began. As per the norm, Kaja and Cass lose themselves in each other and their meld lasts longer than expected. Both have to get up early and go to work in the morning, but getting several hours of sleep isn't in the cards tonight. Tonight, the couple melds the night away.

Citadel

Tracy Andrews stands at Olivia's apartment door, wondering if Liv is actually going to cook dinner or get take out. Inhaling to relax her racing mind, Tracy knocks on the door. She puts her ear near the door because she thinks she hears muffled voices. One is Liv's, but Tracy isn't sure who the other voice is. It's sounds female, that much is certain or Tracy thinks it's female. The apartment door opens and Sha'ira, the asari Consort, exits the apartment. The human's mouth opens wide in utter shock. The last person she ever imagine Liv talking to is the Consort and in her own apartment.

"Olivia, stop by my chambers on Monday, and we'll talk more." Sha'ira give Liv a friendly hug then leaves the apartment, heading home for the evening.

Hugging the Consort back, Liv says, "Thank you again, Sha'ira, for stopping by. You've been very helpful." A smile appears on Liv's face when she sees Tracy in the hallway. "Hi." Liv waves the human into her apartment.

Tracy nods and enters the apartment. "You are full of surprises, Liv. I didn't know you knew the Consort. Let alone well enough for her to come by your apartment," says Tracy.

"Yea, well, Sha'ira is a family friend." Liv rubs her neck like her father always did. "Well, she's more like an acquaintance, but she respects my parents. When I contacted her, she stopped by on her way home. She lives not that far from here, I think," shrugs Liv with a lopsided grin.

"So, what are we having?" asks Tracy. She hugs Liv then sits on the couch.

Liv sits on the arm of the couch, "Salmon patties with those funky looking little cabbages you like so much. Brussels sprouts I think is the name of them. They're simple enough to make. I need to start dinner. I didn't expect Sha'ira to come over and talk to me for over an hour." She gets up to head to the kitchen to start dinner.

Tracy follows the asari to the kitchen and sits at the kitchen table. "Liv, I wish you hadn't seen or heard my interaction with Ray. I saw your reaction to him slapping my hand. He sent me a text message saying he gets the message, I'm with you."

Liv turns her head to look at the human sitting at the table a few meters from her. "I thought maybe he was going to do something else and I wanted to make sure I could react to it. I'm not trained like Kaja is, but I do work my biotics out regularly. Because you never know when you may need to defend yourself or someone else." Liv's face glows when she mentions defending someone else.

"I didn't send him a reply. I have nothing more to say to him. Are you okay, Liv? I'm concerned," says Tracy. She's never sat and watched Liv cook before. It's interesting because Liv focuses on one thing and she seems content getting her hands dirty mixing the salmon meat with the rest of the ingredients. A snicker is heard when Tracy watches Liv smash the balls into little patties.

"What's so funny? I hear you over there, snickering at my cooking technique," teases Liv with a grin.

Tracy's face grows flush, "Well, you looked like you were smashing Ray's face in when you made your patties."

Liv sighs to herself thinking, it's her own face. Sha'ira words are making Liv realize how much she needs to grow as an asari. She starts putting the patties in the hot oil then starts steaming the brussels sprouts. Liv remains quiet until she is done cooking their dinner. She has a few things she needs to say to Tracy, but is nervous about saying them. She grabs a bottle of 2402 Thessia white wine then pours two glasses before she prepares each plate with two salmon patties and the brussels sprouts and brings them to the table.

"Wow, Liv, this smells great. Been cooking more lately?" asks Tracy before she take her first bite of the salmon. The patty melts in her mouth. "Oh wow, this is awesome." Tracy waves her hand holding the fork as she chews another bite of her salmon.

Liv remains silent so she can enjoy watching Tracy's reaction to her cooking. She doesn't cook much, but when she does. It's usually something involving fish. Salmon is a favorite. Making salmon patties are simple and quick to make. A quirky grin appears on Liv's face when she asks, "Surprised, Tracy?"

Nodding her answer, Tracy is too busy enjoying her dinner to verbally answer. She eats one patty along with half the brussels sprouts before she verbally answers Liv's question, "In a way yes. You are full of surprises today."

"Good surprises, I hope," responds Liv before she sips on her white wine.

A goofy look appears on Tracy's face, which causes Liv to smile. "Oh, I don't know. Flowers were a nice surprise. So, one in the yes column. Ready to deal with Ray if needed, another for the yes column. Wonderful dinner, another yes. You knowing the Consort, that's an I don't know what to think type surprise. Overall, yes, Liv, they're good surprises."

"I'm glad you like the flowers." Liv's smile turns a little somber after she finishes her wine. "I know I've not talked much about things. You being around has helped me get through this, but it's not enough. I'm the one with the problem. Until I can get over my guilt, I'm going to start seeing a professional to help me. Sha'ira did say a few things to me that did help. It was mostly things I needed to hear. She did say one thing that was hard for me to hear." Liv reaches out with her hand to take Tracy's. "At times, I feel like running away and hiding from the world. Which is how I felt a few hours ago. Well, I did run away, but I also was being truthful about calling someone and making dinner. Tracy, I feel the same level of shame when I run as I feel when I think about how I've treated you."

Tracy gives Liv a subtle nod as she places her hand over Liv's. Olivia continues, "I don't know what the future holds for us, Tracy. I don't know if I can give you what you need to be happy. If you really do care about me, then please, have some patience with me. I want to try to make you happy and I'll continue to do my best to be a better girlfriend."

A few happy tears run down Tracy's face when she hears Liv's words. She also thinks her coming around has been the root to Liv's problems and that bothers the human. "What I said two weeks ago is how I still feel. I don't want to cause you any grief or problems and I've done that."

"No, that's just it, Tracy. You haven't caused me any problems or caused me any grief. I've caused these things." Liv points to herself. "Not you. All you did was force me to face them." She pats her chest. "It's better I face them now than later," Liv moves her chair closer to Tracy then holds her hand. "I can't and won't promise you anything, but I will continue to try. If that is what you want."

"It's all I can ask for, Liv. I never once thought you were using me. I always thought you had commitment issues and that is why we only went out a few weekends here or there. Plus you're a workaholic." Tracy moves her hand from Liv's grasp, puts her arm around the asari, and holds her close. "Liv, I've been in love with you for about fifteen years. Ever since we spent that wonderful weekend with Cass and Kaja at your family's private island on Earth. Even though we've been together and apart many times since, I never stopped loving you. I always gave you the space I thought you needed. Maybe I should have taken the job I was offered six months ago and moved to New York. Maybe then we both could have moved on, but I didn't. Because I couldn't leave you even though we weren't seeing each other. I love you, Olivia and I'm not going anywhere. Unless you want me to go then I'll go."

Liv feels a single tear rolling down her cheek. This tear isn't from her anguish, it's a happy tear. She's happy because Tracy is still with her and still wants to try to work on their relationship. Hopefully, this is the beginning of their rekindled relationship. All the advice Liv has received the past few weeks is starting to help. Sha'ira has promised to give Liv a list of a few therapists who she feels can help the young T'Soni. There are times when being the 'great' Commander Shepard's daughter has it advantages. Seeing Sha'ira on short notice is one of those advantages.

"No, that's the last thing I want is for you to leave. I have feelings for you, Tracy, but they're all jumbled up and I'm not sure which feeling is what. I do know I care about you and I've been a fool for how I've treated you." Liv sits up to look at Tracy. "I was lucky growing up. Many asari only have one parent raising them. I had both my entire childhood and into adulthood. I witnessed two people who made being in a relationship look simple. Hell, even Kaja and Cass make it look simple. I've learned it's not so simple or for me it's not. I look at my sister and she amazes me. She went down a rough path to find Cass and their relationship reminds me so much of our parents. Kaja is mom and dad all rolled into one, but don't tell her I said that. She'd disagree. She gives those boys the same looks we got from dad. Derek takes things the same way Kaja did too. She hated getting 'the look' from dad. I didn't get it as much as Kaja or Gaia, but I didn't like it either."

Liv pauses long enough to lean against Tracy again. The human places her arm around the asari's shoulder and just listens. "I've always wanted what Kaja has, what my parents had, to be in a caring loving relationship. We started getting to that point then I ran away because I got scared. So, I went back to what was comfortable, which is a few sex filled weekends here and there and lots of work in between. I need to face my relationship fears and follow the example set by those I admire the most. My parents and Kaja and finally do the right thing and stop running away."

Liv pauses again to think about what Sha'ira asked her, what would things be like if your parents had run from their big problems? Being in a relationship isn't a problem unless you, yourself make it a problem. Liv knows exactly what the galaxy would be like if her parents had run away instead of fighting. Sha'ira's follow-up comment did something to Liv's brain because something clicked and she sees what she has been doing for the past century. Liv moves enough so she can kiss Tracy's lips. "Thanks for not giving up on me. I care, Tracy, I really do. I hope I can prove it to you how much you mean to me."

Tracy wipes the moisture from her eyes. They've been working on things for the past two weeks. Liv hasn't opened up much about her feelings since the night she confessed her guilt and got slapped for it. She starts thinking maybe Liv hearing what she said to Ray wasn't as bad as it seemed at the time. Maybe, just maybe, they can have more than they had in the past. Tracy hopes Liv can change and will give her more. It's what she has wanted for over a decade. She also knows talking about changing and actually doing it are two different things. Liv has already made a few small changes which gives Tracy hope the asari actually wants their relationship to work.

They have a long road ahead of them and they both know it. No relationship is easy, but some couples do make it look simple. Liv is finding out that maybe the hard road is the right road to go down. It forces a person to make choices and do something about it. Where the easy road is just that, easy. You may get things, but you might not have earned those things by hard work. Liv's mind deals with complex logic problems which she knows are hard problems to solve, but she solves them with ease and without much effort. The simple things in life are hard for the young asari. Maybe some day, she'll know what it's like to have the simple things and for them to actually be simple.


	8. Chapter VIII

Chapter VIII

It's early morning, the sun is peeking over the horizon and Jimmy Nichols is packing the few belongings he brought with him from Omega. He doesn't have much, but his asari lover, Corressa, did give him enough credits to buy some clothes and other items he would need for his business trip. A business trip, Jimmy chuckles when he thinks about his Elysium business. Today is the day, he puts his plans into motion. First thing on his list is to leave his rented room and head to the new location.

After packing his bag, Jimmy puts on his fedora hat, a pair of nice leather driving gloves, a slightly worn light leather jacket, then starts wiping all areas he has touched with a damp towel. Less evidence he leaves behind the better. He knows once the asari daughter figures out Cass isn't picking her up, she'll contact her father or at worst, her grandmother. Then they'll know she is missing. Jimmy is covering his tracks the best he can. He figures he'll leave something minute behind and the police will find it.

Grabbing his bag, the wanted convict vacates his dank small room for the last time. A smug grin appears as he closes the door. He knows a few people who are going to have a very bad day, while Jimmy is going to enjoy ruining their day. Hell, he's going to ruin their lives in a very negative way. Jimmy turns in her room key to the manager then leaves the building heading to his rented skycar. The first place he heads is to the store to buy enough food for for three or four days then he heads to a rented cottage in the mountains overlooking Illyria.

The cottage is isolated and designed for hunters and fishermen, so it has plenty of room for him and his most welcomed guest, Dr. Mitchell and maybe the asari daughter as well. He still hasn't made his mind up on that yet. The view from the cottage is spectacular. Plenty of trees and wildlife in all directions. A huge lake sits about a kilometer from the cottage and is easily accessible with a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle. Jimmy parks his car next to the cottage then goes inside to put away the food and prepare for what is coming next.

* * *

Kaja T'Soni loves her morning runs when the birds are chirping and the weather isn't too hot or too cold. Every morning during her run, Kaja tends to think about things. This morning is not any different. Karrera's class is graduating without her and Kaja thinks they should do something special for her daughter either tonight or over the weekend. She remembers what it was like to graduate from high school. Most people you never hear from or see again. The only exceptions are the really close friends and Karrera only has one best friend, Jasmine. Jasmine is moving to Thessia in a month to start her university studies.

Karrera is already getting bummed out because she still has two classes to finish before she can go to the university with Jasmine. These next few months are going to drag on and on for Karrera and Kaja wonders if they can do anything to make the time go quicker. Cass has suggested taking a summer class at the local university, but Karrera wants to spend her summer doing anything but school work. Kaja agrees with Karrera. Once school is over, so is play time. Enjoy the weeks off between school terms while you can. They don't last forever.

Kaja walks up the driveway, breathing heavy with a content grin on her face. There is a lone light on the house and it is coming from Kaja and Cass' bedroom. Kaja enters the house, goes to the kitchen to get a glass of mixed fruit juice. She drinks half of it in one gulp then leans against the counter when Cass walks up to her.

"How was your run?" asks Cass when she opens the fridge to grab the fruit juice.

"It's a nice morning, which makes for a good run. I was thinking maybe we should do something for Karrera tonight or maybe this weekend. She seems a little bummed about Jasmine moving to Thessia." Kaja finishes her juice, sets the empty glass on the counter, then kisses Cass' cheek. "I'm jumping into the shower."

Cass smiles at Kaja when the asari walks away. She hasn't told Karrera yet, but she plans on taking the afternoon off, so they can spend it together. Cass is in her fifties, but she still enjoys riding on roller coasters. All three kids love going to Adventure Park, so Cass thinks she'll take Karrera there without the boys and they can ride all the thrill rides the young asari wants to ride. She sips her juice then follows her wife to the bedroom to get Kaja's opinion about spending the afternoon into the evening with Karrera.

The shower is hot and the bathroom is all steamy, just the way Kaja likes it when Cass opens the door. "Kaja, sweetie, I have an idea. I'm going to take the rest of the afternoon off and take Karrera to Adventure Park when I pick her up from school. The park closes at 1900 tonight."

Kaja peeks her head around the shower door, dripping water on the floor. Cass chuckles at Kaja because the asari has soap suds dripping from her hair tentacles. "Sounds great. Go and have fun. I'll pick up the boys and we can meet at the diner across from the museum for dinner? I won't get home until after 1800 today. We're doing some actual field work and I was told by the brass to be thorough with them. However, I don't see them going through the crime scene I'm setting up very quickly."

"Good, we'll tell the kids at breakfast what the day's plans are," comments Cass. She blows Kaja a kiss because she's not getting a soapy kiss from Kaja unless she actually kisses her wife.

Kaja rinses the soap from her body then turns the shower off. Drying herself off, Kaja grins at Cass. "The boys might be a little disappointed they're not going with you and Karrera, but I got a message from the distributor yesterday about the castle/fort we bought for them. It will be here tomorrow. They are even assembling it for us at no extra cost."

"It's about time. That was supposed to be their birthday present back in March. It's the first week of June and we're just now getting it. Free assembling doesn't even cover how annoyed I am about the whole thing." Cass folds her arms across her chest with a slight unhappy look on her face when she thinks how disappointed the twins were when they didn't get the toy they wanted.

Kaja hangs the towel back on the rack then moves to the bedroom to get dressed. "Look, Cass, we knew in January we might not get it in time for their birthday. It is taking longer than expected for it to arrive, but they'll have it tomorrow. Think how excited they'll be when we tell them."

Cass moves closer to Kaja and hugs her tight. "They will be very excited." She kisses her wife's lips softly. "You can get the kids up, while I start breakfast. What do you want?"

"Simple today. French toast? We have plenty of bread, don't we?" asks Kaja.

"We always have plenty of bread and eggs. This family would stave without them," teases Cass as she leaves the bedroom to go to the kitchen to start preparing the family's breakfast.

Kaja chuckles at Cass then goes to wake Karrera. She's easier to get up than the twins. This morning is like most morning with Karrera already awake and ready to take a shower. "Morning, Karrera, ready for your last day of the term?" asks Kaja when she sees Karrera looking at the clothes hanging in the closet.

Nodding to her father, Karrera responds, "Excited and sad at the same time. That's normal right?"

The elder asari hugs the younger asari. "Very much so, Karrera. Cass is making french toast, so you might want to shower quickly before the boys eat it all." She smooches her daughter's cheek.

Karrera rolls her eyes at her father. "Cass always makes sure they don't eat my serving."

Chuckling at Karrera, Kaja hugs the youth again then goes to wake the twins. Eric is the hardest to wake. The twins never sleep in the same bunk every night, they share the top bunk and this morning, Eric is sleeping on top. Kaja wakes Derek first because he's easier to deal with. Neither boy likes waking up in the morning and it usually takes their parents several minutes to get them out of bed and ready for school.

Kaja leans down to put her hand on Derek's shoulder and gentles pushes on him. "Time to get up, Derek."

Feeling his momma's hand on his shoulder and her calm tone in her voice, Derek starts to stir. Kaja pulls the covers off of him which makes him stir more. One more gentle push from Kaja and Derek opens his eyes and looks at her. "Time to get up already, momma?"

"I'm afraid so, Derek. After tomorrow you can sleep in a little later. Time to get up," says Kaja.

Yawning, Derek stretches his arms over his head. He's wearing his favorite pajamas, Justicar Doreen. I don't wanna get up, momma."

Kaja gives her son a sympathetic look to go with her hug. "I know, but we all do things we don't like doing." She pats him on the shoulder then stands to wake Eric. Pushing on his shoulder gently, Kaja says, "Eric, time to get up." She pulls the covers off, no movement.

She yanks the pillow from under his head, he giggles a little. "I'm awake, momma."

"Then get up, Eric. Your mom is making french toast," says Kaja when she hugs him.

The boys get to pick out what they want to wear and so far, they haven't created any outrageous outfits where they would have to change into something more appropriate. Eric puts on a green/white short sleeve knit shirt while Derek wears a blue button down shirt. Both are wearing knit pants and boots.

Everyone sits around the table, eating their breakfast. Cass and Kaja tell the kids the plans for the day. As expected, the boys are a little disappointed they are not going to the amusement park with their mom and sister. Their disappoint wanes when Kaja tells them about the castle arriving tomorrow. Kaja and Cass both exchange glances with each other after they see Eric's reaction to the news. Derek is bouncing in his chair. Neither boy can wait to tell their friends they are getting the castle fort and they'll have it tomorrow.

Karrera is happy Cass is taking time off work to spend an afternoon with her. Cass is the second best thing to happen in Karrera's young life. Second only to the youth's father. They finish getting ready for school/work. Kaja takes the boys to their school and Cass takes Karrera to hers. Then they each head to their jobs for the day. Kaja has a big day planned for the police cadets and can't wait to get started on creating the crime scene the cadets have to investigate.

* * *

Jimmy sits across the street at the diner from the natural history museum Dr. Cassandra Mitchell is curator for, sipping on a cup of coffee. The escaped convict has been watching Cass' movements to and from the museum for the past three days. Today is the asari daughter's last day of school. Every day this week, Cass has left the museum around 1445 to pick her step-daughter from school. He keeps debating back and forth about what to do. Does he take only Cass, leaving the daughter with no ride home on her last day? Or does he take them both?

The less is more philosophy is preferable. He strokes on his beard as he looks at the time. 1426. Almost time to set his plan into motion. Jimmy finishes his coffee then leaves the diner, heading to the museum's employee parking lot. Corressa gave him a few toys for his omni-tool. One should scramble the museum's cameras until they can get them back up and running. Which should give him enough time to get into Dr. Mitchell's car and leave the area.

Jimmy crosses the street, opens his omni-tool and hits a few buttons. The cameras in the parking lot cease working. He hits a few more buttons then waves his hand over the lock on Cass' door. The door pops open and Jimmy climbs into the back seat and waits for Cass to arrive. He locks the car door then ducks from view on the floor. Pity, he thinks. Cass doesn't have better security for her vehicle. In his right hand jacket pocket is a high-caliber pistol and a stiletto knife in each boot. He removes the pistol from his pocket, waiting.

Cass walks up to her car, talking to the volus, Dr. Fawe. The volus inhales before saying, "It sounds like Karrera is going to have a nice afternoon." He exhales, "Have fun, Dr. Mitchell. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you, doctor. I'm looking forward to it and so is Karrera. See you tomorrow," says Cass. She smiles and nods at the volus before her assistant walks back into the museum. Cass gets into her car without looking at the backseat. Since Jimmy's escape, Cass has been diligent on double-checking the backseat before getting into her car. Today, she's distracted by her own excitement on spending the day with her step-daughter.

A smug grin appears on Jimmy's face when Cass gets into the car and didn't even bother to check to see if anyone is in the backseat. Maybe waiting a few weeks before leaving Omega is working in his favor. Dr. Mitchell isn't being overtly cautious when getting into her vehicle. Cass starts the car then pulls away from the parking lot before Jimmy sticks the pistol in her side, "Good too see you again, Dr. Mitchell. You're having an unexpected change in plans. Now turn the car around and head towards the mountains." He jabs the pistol harder against her side. "Do what I say and maybe I won't kill you. You're a means to an end and I'm sure you know what end I'm referring to."

Cass' body starts shaking when she feels the pistol against her side. She opens her mouth to scream, but nothing comes out. Cass is too terrified to scream. Her mind races with too many thoughts at once for her to think clearly. She barely understands what is being said to her. She still hasn't looked at her rear-view mirror to see who it is, because she knows who it is. It's Jimmy Nichols. She doesn't need to look at him to know that. She turns the car around and heads to the mountains after Jimmy jabs the pistol harder in her side.

Barely able to form words, Cass asks, "Why?" She activates her omni-tool thinking maybe she can activate the tracking device on it.

"Because I can, Cass. That's why. Now, hand over your omni-tool. I don't want you contacting your asari wife just yet. You and I are going to hang-out and chat for a while." Jimmy keeps the pistol against Cass' side as he moves to the front seat. When Cass doesn't move to remove the omni-tool from her left arm, Jimmy pulls a knife from his boot and stabs her omni-tool, frying it and impales the blade into her arm near the wrist as a warning. "Do as I say, Cass. I have no qualms about killing you and leaving your twins without their mother." He yanks the blade from her arm, wipes it off on her dress, then puts it back in his boot.

Crying out in pain, Cass grabs her left arm with her right hand covering the wound and holding it close to her chest. Which causes Jimmy to take over driving the car. Tears stream down her face. Still unable to say anything or think clearly. Blood is dripping on her dress and onto the seat. Cass lowers her head as she cradles her wounded arm. "What did Kaja do that it's worth all of this?" Her voice is so soft, it's barely a whisper.

Jimmy does mange to hear some of what Cass asked. He hasn't lost his smirk since he got into her car. Everything is working out. No police presence in their vicinity and from the police traffic Jimmy has tapped into, it doesn't sound like anything is amiss when it comes to Dr. Mitchell. He doesn't answer her question. He doesn't feel he needs to answer. If she has to ask, she's not thinking or doesn't understand. Jimmy thinks it's both. He is surprised she hasn't started screaming and is remaining half way calm. He did notice her body shaking when he was in the backseat and that hasn't stopped.

Jimmy drives them out of Illyria and to his rented car he stashed earlier in the morning. His plan is to take Cass in his car to the cabin, leaving her car behind. He also plans on leaving a simple note saying: 'She's mine' on the front seat. "Oh, Cass. This could have all been avoided if you weren't with T'Soni. But you lie with the enemy, you become the enemy," says Jimmy after he parks her car next to his. He grabs her face and forces her to look at him. "Nothing to say?"

She remains silent, but does look at him. The tears have stopped for the moment, but anyone looking at her knows she's been crying. Jimmy smacks her face with his gloved hand, not hard, but not tender either. "Get out. Don't make me say it again." He opens the car doors. He nudges Cass with the pistol by jabbing it in her side. Dr. Mitchell does as she's told and gets out of the car. He's already proven to her, he's not above inflicting pain. Jimmy gets out behind her with his gun constantly pointed in Cass' direction. He pulls a piece of paper from his jacket pocket and drops the note on the seat close to a small pool of blood from Cass' wound. A corner of the note touches the blood, turning the paper red.

Jimmy shows some compassion and bandages Cass' wound with a medi-gel patch. He's doing it to keep the blood from dripping in his rented car. They get into his car and drive to the cabin in the mountains.

* * *

Dr. Liara T'Soni rubs the bridge of her nose. She's slowly getting a headache from looking at the monitors for too long. She needs a break, but is bound and determined to find the asari forger on Omega. Her gut tells her she finds the forger, she finds Jimmy. The longer he's out, the more she worries he might already have put a plan into motion. She's sent her best wet squad to Omega after she received a tip on the forger's location. She's yet to hear back from them. She usually doesn't until they have something to report.

Liara has noticed transactions from a 'John Shepard' popping up on a few systems including Elysium. She has run a check on him and the ID seems genuine, but Liara has her doubts. The more she looks at his background, the less she finds and the person seems to have just appeared a few weeks ago from out of nowhere. She wonders if the human is cleaver enough to use Shepard as an alias or if this John Shepard is really John Shepard. She gets up from her chair, grabs a fresh cup of coffee, then paces around the loft thinking about what she knows so far, which isn't enough for Liara's taste.

She looks at the time, she has an hour before she needs to pick up the twins from school. Plenty of time to get more work done before she focuses her attention on her grandsons. Sipping her coffee, Liara sits back at her desk, searching for something she may have missed. The Shadow Broker slams her hand on the desk in frustration. An escaped convict with a grudge against her daughter is on the loose and she can't locate him. She keeps her hopes up, she will find Jimmy before Jimmy does something against her family.

* * *

Karrera and her friend, Jasmine, are standing outside their school waiting for a parent to pick them up. Jasmine's mom parks in front of the school. The two young asari walk together to the car. Jasmine asks, "Are you sure you don't need a ride home? It's not a problem, Karrera."

"No, Cass should be here. We're spending the rest of the afternoon together riding roller coasters until the park closes. I'm sure she'll be here soon," says Karrera. She is growing concerned Cass hasn't shown up yet. She doesn't let Jasmine or her mom know it.

Jasmine hugs her friend then gets into the car, "Okay. I'll call you on Monday. We're going out-of-town this weekend. Have fun riding all the rides. I wish I was going with you."

Karrera waves at Jasmine when her mom drives them away. She looks around and notices she's the only student left. Her concern grows by the second. It isn't like Cass to not let her know if she is running late. Some times it's her grandmother picking her up, but Cass is taking the rest of the day off to spend with her. Karrera walks over to a teacher standing next to the door. "Ah, Ms. Lees, my ride isn't here and I'd like to call to see where she is."

Ms. Lees says, "Of course, Karrera, follow me." She leads Karrera to the office so Karrera can make a few calls to find her step-parent.

"Thank you, Ms. Lees." Karrera dials the museum first. Dr. Fawe tells her Cass already left. He assures her Dr. Mitchell left excited about spending the day with her. She calls Cass' omni-tool. No answer, straight to leave a message response on the first ring. "No, no, no," mumbles Karrera when she thinks something has happened to Cass. The next number she calls is the police academy to contact her father. She'd call her grandmother, but she has the boys and if something did happen to Cass, she needs to contact her father, not her grandmother.

* * *

Liara returns home with Derek and Eric in tow. Glyph has informed Liara of an important message waiting for her. It's from the wet squad the Shadow Broker sent to Omega to find the asari forger. She tells the twins she needs to work for about thirty minutes and to please stay in the house until she's done then they can go outside to play. She promised the boy's parents she wouldn't let them be outside without supervision. Technically, Liara can let them go all over the property because of the security cameras. Liara would rather watch from outside then work and glance at a monitor when she remembers to do so. The stakes are too high and Liara wants to make sure the youngest members of the family are safe.

Eric turns on the extranet, so he and his brother can watch the after school cartoons. It always amazes Liara how much the twins get along and don't normally fight over what to watch or which toy to play with. Whatever Cass and Kaja are doing, it's working. Once the boys settle on which show to watch, Liara goes up to her office.

First thing she does is sip on her iced tea she left on her desk before she left to pick the boys up from school. Liara brings up the message from the wet squad leader.

_We have found the asari forger named Corressa. Getting her to talk wasn't easy, but we managed to get the name Jimmy Nichols is using. He's going by the name John Shepard. We also got a little more out of her. He is headed to Elysium to kill an asari named Kaja T'Soni and her family is fair game._

_I await further instructions on what you want done with Corressa._

_Lt. Kurwen_

"By the Goddess, NO!" says Liara when she drops the glass she was holding and it shatters all over the floor. She checks on the twins, they're both sitting on the couch together, watching cartoons. Leaving the mess on the floor, the Shadow Broker sends a one word reply: Terminate.

Hitting the send button, Liara feels no remorse and no regret about her order. She's been looking for the forger for years and the simple fact, Corressa helped Jimmy, sealed her fate. As much as she hates involving her work as the Shadow Broker for personal reasons. Something in the pit of her stomach, tells Liara she is too late with the information. Maybe it's the timing of it, maybe it's because Nichols has been on the loose now for three weeks.

The longer he's out the more worried Liara becomes. She can only do so much with the information she receives. There are times when the intel is lacking in areas. Jimmy is one of those areas and Liara doesn't like it. She sees how him being loose is affecting Kaja and her family. It's mostly affecting Cass and Kaja has done her best to keep her bondmate calm. Liara decides to clean her mess before contacting Kaja about Nichols' alias. She runs a search for a John Shepard on Elysium in the past three weeks.

Liara walks down the stairs, smiles when she sees how content the twins are with their afternoon cartoons, then walks into the utility room to grab a broom with dust pan and a mop. She watches the boys again, shaking her head while smiling at Eric and his hand gestures when he talks about the cartoon they're watching. Liara cleans her mess and before she can take everything back down to the utility room, she receives an incoming call from Kaja.

* * *

Sargent Kaja T'Soni is overseeing the cadets first attempt at dissecting a crime scene. The cadets are paired up and the third group is combing the scene for evidence. The scene Kaja has created is a murder scene in a two-bedroom apartment. There is only one group at a time in the apartment and the cadets who have finished their investigation are separated from those who are waiting for their turn. One cadet always turns to look at Kaja for help. Her response is the same, silence with her shaking her head, no. She was asked by the Academy's commanding officer to make the her crime scene difficult, so she has made the first one semi-hard by her standards.

Standing with a data pad in her hand, Kaja makes notes on each cadets performance during the exercise. She even puts notes if the cadet asked or looked at her for guidance. She wants to make sure her notes about every cadet is as thorough as possible. So far, the asari is enjoying working with the cadets. Everyone is eager to learn and they all pay attention when the instructors give them directions. She's already been told not all classes are as smooth as this class has been. She'll see in five more weeks what the next class is like.

Another instructor taps Kaja on the shoulder to inform her she has a call waiting for her in the main building. She makes a note in the data pad when she leaves then hands it to her fellow instructor. Without haste, Kaja goes to the main building and finds a private room to take her call. Karrera's face appears on the viewer. "Something wrong, Karrera?" asks Kaja. She sees concern in her daughter's face.

"Cass hasn't picked me up from school and I called the museum. Her volus assistant told me she already left. Dad, I called her omni-tool and it went to leave a message on the first ring. Something's wrong," answers Karrera.

_Fuck no! No no no! _Kaja keeps her composure when she says, "Karrera, listen to me. Stay inside. I'll be there shortly to pick you up."

Karrera nods while she answers, "Yes, ma'am."

Kaja terminates the call with Karrera then runs to her CO's office. "Major, sir, I have a situation at home. I must take some personal leave, so I can deal with it."

The Major is a balding human in his sixties. "What's the situation, Sargent?"

Sargent T'Soni stands at attention. "My bondmate is missing, sir. My daughter is stuck at school and I need to pick her up and take her to my mother's house. She's watching my sons."

The Major asks, "How much time do you need, Kaja?"

"I don't know. I'm sure you've read my file and know about my run-in with the convict Jimmy Nichols." Kaja is doing her best to remain calm, go through proper channels for her leave, instead of leaving without telling anyone why.

The human leans back in his chair, rubs his hands together, then says, "Yes, the whole department knows about Nichols. Do you think he's here and has done something to Dr. Mitchell?"

Kaja nods, "Yes, sir, I do. It's the only explanation to why she wouldn't pick Karrera up from school. She took the rest of the day off so they could go to Adventure Park."

It's not proper policy and the Major knows it. He sees Kaja wants to leave and take care of her business. Technically, he can't grant her permission to investigate her bondmate's disappearance. Telling her not to, won't stop her. It's what he would do in her situation. It's what any cop would do. "Keep me updated, Sargent. Don't ruffle any feathers if someone else gets the case. Technically, you're not allowed to investigate her disappearance. I would if I was you, so go. All I ask is keep me updated."

"Yes, sir, I will. Thanks," says Kaja as she runs from the building. A few give her a strange look when she runs by. When she gets to her skycar, she calls her mother to inform her on what is going on and to keep the boys inside. She paces back and forth while she waits for her mother to answer. Liara's face appears and Kaja says quickly, "Cass is missing. I'm picking up Karrera and bringing her over. Keep the boys inside. I have to go."

"I should have something for you when you get here," says Liara before Kaja ends the call abruptly.

Kaja gets into her car and drives hastily to Karrera's school. She contacts her former partner, Ben Livingston about Cass being missing. He agrees to meet Kaja at her house in an hour to hour and half tops. Ben has a few things to do before he can leave for the day and promises to keep quiet on Cass' disappearance. Knowing Ben will help her retrace Cass' steps is a relief. She would go solo on this, but rather have someone watching her back. It's obvious to Kaja, Jimmy is in town and is a step or two ahead of her. Nothing else makes sense. Cass wouldn't just vanish and not pick Karrera up.

Parking the car, Kaja walks into the building, looking for her daughter. Karrera is talking to her principal, Matriarch Tashae. Tashae sees Kaja enter the office the points in her direction. Karrera turns, sees her father, then walks to give Kaja a hug. "Are you okay, Karrera?" asks Kaja.

"I'm okay. I'm worried about Cass. She wouldn't just leave me," replies the young asari.

Kaja places her arm around her daughter's shoulder as they leave the office then the building. "No, she wouldn't. I'm taking you to your grandmother's. You and your brothers will be safe there. Me and Ben are going to look for Cass. I'm sorry, but no amusement park today."

Karrera asks when they get into the car, "He has her doesn't he?"

Kaja's eyes show great sadness mixed with a hint of anger. She's trying to keep her anger in check. It's getting harder to do the longer Cass is missing. Illyria is a big enough city for someone to hide for a few days without anyone knowing it. "I don't know, but it does feel like it. I'm not sure what to tell your brothers when we get there." Without realizing she's doing it, Kaja flexes her right hand into a fist then opens her hand back up again. She repeats this the entire time it takes for her to get to her mom's house.

Liara has the boys in the kitchen eating a snack when Kaja and Karrera arrive. She greets them both at the door. Kaja has Karrera take her stuff to the bedroom she uses when she spends the night, so she can talk to her mother alone. The youth does what she's told without question. She understands the situation is serious and the best way she can help is by doing what her father tells her to do. Liara leads Kaja to her office to talk in private.

"I found out somethings right before you called. I wish I had gotten it sooner," says Liara as she hands Kaja a data pad with every piece of intel she found on a John Shepard who arrived days ago.

Kaja snatches the data pad from Liara's grasp and starts reading. "That son-of-a-bitch is using the name John Shepard? Oh, nice, you've tracked his credit chit transactions. How did you, never mind, I don't want to know." She waves her free hand in a dismissive manner. She continues to read what Liara has given her. Kaja looks up when she's done with the first read. She'll read it several more times until she sees something in it she can use. The credit chit transactions are a good place to start.

"What do I tell Eric and Derek? How do I explain to them their mother is missing?" Kaja eyes start to water, she closes her eyes to focus on the task at hand. Finding her bondmate. Once she leaves her mother's house, she not coming home until she does find Cass.

"You'll have to tell them something, Kaja. The minute they see Karrera here, they will know something is amiss. They're smart boys," replies Liara. It's not the best answer, but the only one she can think of to tell Kaja.

A faint grin appears on Kaja's face, "I know that, mom. I don't know how to explain it to them. What ever I say to them is going to upset them and you and Karrera are the ones who are going to have to deal with them."

Liara hugs Kaja tight. "Tell them she is missing and you are going to find her. They don't need to know all the details. Karrera knowing is enough."

Nodding to her mom, Kaja pockets the data pad, then heads downstairs to tell her sons, their mother is missing. Kaja fears she's never going to find Cass and if she does, Cass won't be alive. She can't afford to let her children know this. She pushes the negative thoughts from her mind when she sees Derek questioning Karrera.

"Where's mom, Karrera?" asks Derek when he sees his asari sister exiting the bathroom.

Karrera looks at her little brother then shrugs. "I don't know, Derek."

Eric joins Derek in questioning Karrera about their mom's whereabouts. "She was suppose you take you to Adventure Park."

Kaja moves between the twins and Karrera. Karrera wipes the tears from her eyes with her shirt sleeve. "I don't know where she is. I don't.

Derek sees his momma, he runs over to her and asks, "If Karrera is here, where's mom?"

Kaja takes Derek into her arms, she hugs him tight, not wanting to let him go, but knows she must. "She's missing, Derek."

As soon as Kaja says, "She's missing," Both boys start crying. This is the reaction Kaja was afraid of because she's can't stay and console them. She needs to find her bondmate and their mother. Kaja pulls them in close for a tight, comforting embrace. Derek pushes away from his momma, wipes his nose on his shirt. The youth boy asks, "Are you going to find mom, momma?"

"I'm going to try, Derek." Kaja hugs them again and remains at their level with her left knee on the floor. "You're going to stay here with your grandmother and sister until I find your mom. I don't want to leave, but I have to find her. Do you both understand?" She reaches up and touches each son's cheek.

Eric yells out with tears running down his face, "Find my mom!" He turns and runs to Liv's old bedroom. Derek runs after his brother.

Kaja balls her right hand into a fist so tight she can feel her fingernails dig into her palm. Karrera isn't sure what to do. Does she say something to her father or to her brothers? Liara motions to her granddaughter to check on the twins. Kaja's fist starts smacking the side of her leg. There is nothing but unadulterated rage in her eyes. Liara reaches out to give Kaja a hug, but Kaja moves from her mother and walks to the bedroom.

Watching how Karrera is talking to her brothers, calms Kaja down, but not by much. Kaja enters the bedroom then sits on the bed. "I love all three of you very much. I also love your mom very much. I have to find her." She looks at her sons. Derek wraps his arms around his momma, "Get the bad guy, momma."

"Remember before I transferred how I was gone for days at a time?" asks Kaja in a calm, soothing voice.

Both boys nod with Eric saying, "Yea. Go find mom!" He buries his face against Kaja's side, saying again, "Go find mom."

Liara wipes the moisture from her eyes as she watches Kaja and her children from the doorway. Her gut was right, she did get the information too late. She starts second guessing herself on waiting to say anything to Kaja about her suspicions about the alias Jimmy is using. She didn't, instead she waited until she had conformation the information was accurate. Now she wishes she had told Kaja a few days ago, maybe Kaja could have started looking for him and adverted this disaster.

Karrera says, "Dad, go and find Cass."

Kaja hugs each child and tells them she loves them before leaving the bedroom, heading towards the front door. Liara chases after her daughter "Kaja, stop for a second. What are you planning on doing?"

The eldest T'Soni daughter stops, faces her mother, then says, "I'm going home to meet Ben. I bought a new set of armor during our last trip to the Citadel. It's the latest light armor designed from Thessia and only available to huntresses. Since I'm retired, they allowed me to purchase a set. Being a cop helped with that as well. I'm not running off blind, mom. You've given me enough to start after I head to the museum to see if their security picked up anything and didn't report it."

"Be careful, Kaja. Your children need you," says Liara as she rubs on her daughter's upper arm. "Do you want me to contact your sisters? Let them know what is going on?"

"Not yet. Give me until morning to find out what is going on then you can contact them. If Gaia shows an ounce of compassion, I'll be surprised. I gotta go." Kaja gives her mom a quick hug then smooches her cheek. "Keep them safe, mom. That is all I need from you. Unless you find out something else about this John Shepard, let me know." Saying her father's last name, makes Kaja's skin crawl. If that is the reaction Jimmy wanted, well he got it. It's not going to stop her from hunting him down. "Oh, and the boys are not going to school tomorrow. I'll contact the school and let them know why. I still want their new castle/fort toy delivered and assembled tomorrow. It should arrive around 1300 to 1500. I gotta go."

Kaja hustles to her car then heads to her house two houses away. Ben is already waiting for her when she arrives, so she parks behind him. "I took off after finishing my paperwork. I swear, half my job is pushing paper around. Kids okay?" asks Ben.

"No, they're not. I got the reaction I was expecting," Kaja turns to face Ben when she opens the door. "I have to find her, Ben. Here, my mom gave me this. Don't ask me how she got it because I don't even know, but take a look over the credit chit transactions and see if there are any leads we can go on after we talk to security at the museum. I need to change and get a few things. I'll be right back," says Kaja as she hands Ben the data pad. She rushes into her bedroom to change into her armor and grabs a few unofficial weapons.

While Kaja changes her clothes, Ben looks over the data pad. Too bad they can't use any of it in court, but Liara is very thorough with what she uncovered. Ben gets a feeling, who ever took Kaja's wife, won't live long. Her rage didn't go unnoticed by her former partner. Four different transactions catch his attention. One transaction is a name of an owner of some low rent rooms in the slums. It's a start, thinks Ben. Kaja returns wearing new armor with a pistol on one hip and a SMG on the other.

Neither gun is department issued. As far as Kaja and Ben are concerned, neither are on any official case. He hands her the data pad back and a location for them to look into. If Kaja is as angry as Ben thinks she is, then she's worried about Cass' safety. If Jimmy did take Cass, Ben knows Kaja will do everything possible including crossing a few lines to get her back. He'd do the same in her situation. The former partners are again partnering up to find Dr. Mitchell. The first place they head to is the museum to see if there is anything on the security video to give Kaja a clue to what happened to Cass.

–

A/N: Again, I would like to think everyone who takes the time to review. I do appreciate them a great deal. I always knew people liked my stories, but I never thought anyone would do a piece of 3D art inspired by them. Since we can't post links on this site, here is the name of the site...deviantart

Search for N7-CMDR. The name of the piece is Mourning.

See everyone next week. Only a few more more chapters left. I do have another story after this one, I am still working on it.


	9. Chapter IX

Chapter IX

Kaja and Ben split up when they get to the museum. Ben heads across the street to the diner. There is a camera on the diner's property that has a partial view of the employee parking lot across the street. Kaja enters the museum, looking for the head of security, Adam Carter. The asari overhears Adam Carter asking, "What do you mean there is a time-lapse? When did this happen, Cathrik?"

The turian, Cathrik, replies, "Right before Dr. Mitchell left, sir. Something happened to the cameras outside and it takes ninety seconds for them to reboot. That's the time we lost, sir."

Kaja inhales to calm down before she says, "What time did Dr. Mitchell leave?"

Hearing the asari's voice causes both men to jump. "Oh, hello, Sergeant T'Soni. I didn't hear you come in. She left at 1439."

"What time did the cameras reboot?" asks Kaja. She prepares to relay the info to Ben, so he knows what time on the diner's camera to look for.

Cathrik says, "1431."

"Ben, the cameras at the museum did a reboot at 1431. I would check from ten minutes before that to see if anyone messed with them," says Kaja into her omni-tool.

Ben replies in Kaja's ear, "On it."

Kaja turns her attention to the two security personal. "Adam, has there been any suspicious behavior or anyone hanging around the past few days?"

Adam rubs his left thumb over his index and middle fingers while thinking about Kaja's question. "Not that I am aware of. There is nothing on the vid before the cameras rebooted. I've already looked. If someone did something, they did it outside our view."

"Mind if I take a look?" asks Kaja. She's doing her best to remain calm. Her right hand still flexes into a fist from time to time. After hearing what happened before Cass left, Jimmy planned this out. He's smarter than she thought. _Don't think you got the better of me, Jimmy. This isn't over by a long shot._

Cathrik moves from his chair to let Kaja sit in it. She rewinds the vid to 1421 and watches every movement on the screen. At 1427, she thought she saw for a nanosecond movement on the right side. She pauses it, rewinds the vid a few seconds then watches it again on a slower speed. There is someone waving an omni-tool, or it looks like an omni-tool. It's barely in the frame, which doesn't give Kaja anything to work with. It only tells her someone sabotaged the cameras long enough for them to get into her car.

If the cameras came back online at about seven minutes before she left, then he got into her car and let her drive off before revealing himself. It's the only thing that fits. She watches the vid until she see Cass get into the car and drive away. Kaja pauses it to rewind to see if she can see anyone else waiting in her bondmate's car. Zooming in, the only thing Kaja can see what looks like is a shadow off the backseat. She can't see who it is, but knows someone was waiting for Cass in the car and Cass didn't check before getting in. _Oh, Cass, why didn't you check the car before getting in it or were you too __excited about spending the afternoon with Karrera? You hurt her, Jimmy and I will end you._

"Adam, please, make a copy from 1426 until Cass' car leaves the lot. If another detective comes in asking about Cass, give it to them. I'm not technically investigating, I'm looking for my bondmate," says Kaja before she leaves the security room. She jogs across the street as Ben is exiting the diner. "Find anything?"

"A partial, I have an unknown human male wearing a fedora hat getting into Cass' car. We don't know for certain it's Jimmy Nichols, but it fits. Who else would go after her?" asks Ben as they walk back to Kaja's car parked across the street.

"No one, Ben. It's Jimmy. I feel it in my gut and if he has hurt her..." says Kaja.

Ben interrupts Kaja, so he doesn't hear what he knows she's going to say, "We need to find her first. We have his photo from the fake ID. We show it around the places he bought stuff with his credit chit. Next thing we need to do is check on that room he rented. See how long ago he left if he left."

The two detectives get into the car, Ben directs Kaja to where Jimmy rented his room. The owner of the building tells them a John Shepard checked out early this morning and has no idea where he went. As far as he knows, he left town. A dead-end. They start showing Jimmy's ID picture around the businesses near the room, hoping someone can give them a lead to where Jimmy might have gone. Ben starts talking to a cashier who saw Jimmy this morning and thought she overheard him on the public terminal renting a place in the mountains. She isn't sure on everything she heard, but that is what it sounded like he was talking about to her .

It's a lead, slim one, but a lead just the same. Det. Livingston looks around to see Kaja looking at her onmi-tool. Sgt. T'Soni stares at the information on her screen. The last credit chit transaction is from 0927 this morning. It's a cabin rental in the mountains. Ben asks, "Got something, Kaja?"

"Yes, I believe so, Ben. It looks like he rented a cabin in the mountains after all." Kaja points at the mountains in the background. "No coordinates to which one and there are dozens of cabins up there. We've rented them before." Kaja stares at the mountains wondering where to start. They could spend days up there searching for Cass and never find her. Then it dawns on her. She smacks Ben in the chest. "Why didn't we think of this sooner. His rental car has a tracking device on it. We need to check the skycar rental place at the spaceport. That is where he rented his." They quickly get into Kaja's car and head directly to the spaceport. Both have hope this helps them track down Jimmy and if they find Jimmy, hopefully, they'll find Cass.

Jimmy has Cass locked in a bedroom tied in a sitting position on a bed. To his surprise and disappointment, Dr. Mitchell hasn't cried out for help and said much of anything since she mumbled a question at him before they changed cars. He is making a beef stew. Jimmy hasn't cooked in decades, but this recipe is easy enough to make. While the stew simmers for thirty minutes, Jimmy checks on his guest.

Opening the door to Cass' room, Jimmy sees Cass looking down and not making eye contact with him. _Good, don't look at me. I hope you're scared Cass, I hope you're scared. _Jimmy checks her restraints, making sure she is secure and won't get loose. A smug grin to go with his cocky attitude, Jimmy says, "I hope you're comfortable, Dr. Mitchell. I do have some dinner cooking. I hope you like stew because that is all I am making." He lifts her chin with his left hand. "You have nothing to say, doctor?"

The pain in Cass' wrist is duller with the medi-gel patch on it. She wants to yell and scream, but what good would that do. Give him enjoyment, she is sure he would enjoy seeing her yelling at him and she doesn't want to give him that. The moment he shoved his pistol into her side Cass knew everything in her life changed. She wants to see her wife and kids again, but doubts that will happen. She knows for certain, Kaja is looking for her with Liara watching their kids and will keep them safe. There is one thing Cass is grateful for, Jimmy seems to only want to deal with her and Kaja. He is leaving their kids alone.

There is one thing Cass wants to know is why, so decides to ask him again. Her voice is still soft, but she speaks loud enough for him to hear her. "What did Kaja do that is worth all of this?"

Jimmy slaps her face, leaving a reddish mark on her cheek. "What did Kaja do? Well, think about that for a moment, doctor. You're educated and are intelligent. Or so your degrees would dictate." He gets up to let Cass think about what he said and to stir the stew.

Cass watches him leave. She doesn't say anything to him. She only thinks. _You smug son-of-a-bitch, I didn't learn how to be a criminal thug like you. And I'll believe Kaja over you. She only did her job and it interfered with your illegal activities. A few credits are worth this? I don't and will never understand. I know you're looking for me, Kaja, please hurry. He has something planned. He is acting too cocky not to have one._ She closes her eyes and wishes she was some place else. Like at Adventure Park with Karrera enjoying the rides. She was so looking forward to it too.

Cass opens her eyes when she hears the door open. Looking at him, makes her skin crawl. Having him close to her, makes her sick to her stomach. "T'Soni won't get here in time to save you, Cass. I can assure you that. This could all have been avoided if you hadn't been with her twenty years ago. I would have killed her and went back to Omega. You wouldn't even know I existed."

"So, this is my fault for falling in love? That's doesn't even make sense, Jimmy." Cass would laugh at him, but she figures if she did, he would just slap her again. Or do something worse.

"To you it doesn't make sense. The brilliant mind of yours can't see what is in front of your face." Jimmy sits next to Cass and takes her face with his left hand. "You are bait. Which was the plan until Della betrayed Anika by killing her. We could have easily killed T'Soni when she was walking you home that night, but no. Anika and Della both wanted to make sure you were not harmed." Jimmy backhands Cass across the face. "I assure you, doctor, I won't be following their advice this time."

Cass feels the pain in her face, but doesn't think he's broken her jaw, yet. Her eyes water from the pain and she can tell by looking at Jimmy, her being in pain is satisfying to him. She'd rather not give him any satisfaction, but it looks like he is getting it by slapping her around. "I have no delusions to what you will do to me, Jimmy."

Jimmy's smug smirk turns into a nasty smile, "Good. Play nice, I might let you live, Cass." The buzzer on the stove starts beeping, letting Jimmy know the stew is done. "I hope you're hungry. It sounds like dinner is ready." He unties Cass' from the restraints and moves her to the kitchen then ties her to a chair. His main goal is T'Soni, not her wife. For the time being, Jimmy will continue to play nice with her. After all he did make her dinner.

Liara with Karrera's help calm Derek and Eric down enough for the boys to watch a vid. Eric is taking the news harder than his twin, Derek. Liara is making a simple dinner for the boys. Both like cheeseburgers, so that is what she is making for them. Karrera joins her grandmother in the kitchen, "Grandma, I know I shouldn't ask this. Please allow me to go home and pick up a few toys for Eric and Derek? I know how much they love that new board game they got a few weeks ago. I think it would help them not think about Cass' disappearance. I really do hope dad finds her soon."

"I'm sorry, Karrera. No, you can't go home to get a few things," answers Liara.

Karrera thinks quickly for a retort that will persuade her grandmother to let her go. "Grandma, please. Show some trust that I can take care of myself. It's only two houses away and I doubt very much who ever took Cass is hiding out in our house. Don't do it for me, do it for the twins. Eric loves that Pyjak Trap game and I really think it will help take their mind off the fact their mother is missing." Sighing softly, Karrera adds, "I know what that's like, mom being gone. But this is different. Cass wouldn't just leave without saying anything."

Liara stops mixing the spices into the ground meat, turns to look at Karrera. She sees a confident young maiden standing in front of her, who loves her little brothers and is trying to comfort them. The young maiden has a point. Liara doubts Jimmy took Cass back home. She thinks he is in the mountains overlooking Illyria. Washing her hands, Liara non-verbally tells Karrera to wait as she runs up to her office to check something. The Shadow Broker wonders why she didn't think of it before now. She can get a thermal reading from any house on the planet.

The first house she checks is Kaja and Cass' house. No red figures showing on the map. Next, Liara sets up a scan for every cabin in the mountains then goes back down stairs to let Karrera go home to pick up a few items for her brothers. "Okay, you have a good point about keeping your brothers calm. Grab a change of clothes too."

"Thanks grandma," says Karrera with a hug. The young asari looks out the window before opening the door, proving to Liara she is not only mature for her age, but a has complete understanding at what is going on and how serious the situation is with Cass' disappearance. Karrera opens the door then jogs quickly to her house.

Liara watches Karrera enter the house. When she shuts the front door, Derek asks, "Where's Karrera going? Momma wanted us to stay here."

"She's going to grab a few things then come right back," replies Liara.

"I hope she brings back Pyjak Trap. Can we play after dinner, grandma if she does?" asks Eric. His face is still puffy looking from crying.

Liara gives both boys a hug before replying, "I'm sure she is, Eric. Yes, you may play it after dinner. Cheeseburgers sound good to you?"

Eric rubs his tummy, "I love cheeseburgers."

"Grandma, when is mom and momma coming home?" asks Derek. He has a serious look on his face. A look too serious for a boy his age.

"I don't know, Derek. All we can do is wait. I know that is hard to do, but we'll get through it," says Liara. She hugs her grandsons again then goes back into the kitchen to finish preparing tonight's dinner.

The boys follow Liara to the kitchen. Neither say anything, they sit at the table watching her make their dinner. Karrera comes back with two bags with toys and one bag with clothes for her brothers. She didn't grab too much for herself. Toothbrush and her pajamas. The young asari brings the old maid card deck to the kitchen table when she joins everyone else. The kids play a few games of Old Maid while Liara cooks.

After dinner and the dishes are done for the night, everyone sits around the coffee table playing Pyjak Trap. In the background there is a kids vid playing, but no one is bothering to pay any attention to it. It's on only for background noise. Once the twins are in bed for the night, Liara joins Karrera in the basement for some biotic practice.

Liara smiles at the young asari using her barrier against the combat drone. "Your barrier is getting much better, Karrera."

A little winded, Karrera says, "Thanks. I keep practicing. I don't think I'll ever be as good as you or dad, but I want to at least be able to protect myself if needed."

"Hopefully, you'll never need to use them, but it's always good to practice. You were right. They did calm down after you brought some of their toys over. Did you even bring anything for yourself?" asks Liara.

"I brought my clothes and my toothbrush. That's it. I wanted to help my brothers and I'm glad it worked. I hope dad finds Cass soon. I miss her too." Karrera has Droney give her a target and she uses everything she has to throw a warp strong enough to destroy the target. The target disappears when the warp hits it. "Yea!" She raises her arms into the air.

A big smile appears on Liara face. She pats Karrera on the shoulder, "Good job. I'm going to work for a little bit. Be careful down here."

"I will, I promise," says Karrera. She feels good. Not great, but good. She misses her parents. Even though Cass is her step-parent, Cass has treated the young asari like she was her own daughter. She's done so from the very beginning. At first, Karrera thought maybe it was an act, but it wasn't. Cass really does care about her and that has made a big impact on her life in a positive way. She goes back to practicing with her barriers then warp.

Liara looks over the thermal scans from the cabins in the mountains. There are over thirty cabins owned by the same owner and Liara couldn't locate which cabin Jimmy rented because the owner gave him a choice and the wanted convict didn't contact back like he was suppose to. Prison either made Jimmy into a smarter criminal or he's an extremely lucky one. Liara isn't sure which one is worse. Probably the former, because the latter will run out eventually.

At least two dozen cabins show heat signatures. All but six show more than two signatures. Six is too many to pass to Kaja and Ben. The Shadow Broker removes all but the six cabins then finds the rental list and starts comparing names to the cabin location, hoping to pin-point which cabin Jimmy is using. Everything at this point is an educated guess. More times than not, the Shadow Broker is correct when making educated guesses. Tonight, she hopes this one is also correct.

She darkens the cabins with a name of the renter. She's down to two cabins and the cabins are not close to each other. Liara looks at the map wondering which cabin Jimmy is using. One is near a lake. Is that a good location? Good place to dispose of a body. Weight it down and have it sink to the bottom of the lake and that lake is well over a hundred feet deep in spots. Liara rubs on her chin then decides to contact Kaja with both locations and hopes for the best. Two locations is easier to deal with than having six.

Kaja and Ben are talking to the cashier at the last skycar rental company at the spaceport. The human cashier's fingers type on the keyboard, searching for a rental from a John Shepard. "Found it, Detective. John Shepard. He rented a car a week ago and has one more week left on his rental. It looks like the car has been in the small spot all day."

Ben says, "Thank you. Can you tell me where the car is located now?"

While Ben is talking to the cashier, Kaja is pacing back and forth worrying about her bondmate. Is she alright? Has Jimmy hurt her? She's tempted to call her mom to check on the kids, but thinks that will just make the kids worry more, so she decides against it. The longer Cass is gone, the more worried Kaja becomes and she's afraid it will start affecting her search and that makes her glad Ben is with her. He's been a great partner and a wonderful friend.

The cashier writes down the location for John Shepard's rented skycar on a piece of paper and hands it to Detective Livingston. "Kaja, I got a location." He looks at the paper and notices the address is in town and not coordinates for a cabin in the mountains. "Wait, this shows an address in town, not a location in the mountains."

Kaja furrows her brow deep in thought. This isn't good, not good at all. They have leads and its taking them in two different directions. Her gut is telling her the tracking device was removed and planted some place to throw her off. "We go where our leads take us, but this feels wrong, Ben. I think the device is off the car and put on something stationary to make it look like its been sitting all day. Maybe Jimmy isn't as stupid as I thought."

"I remember hearing about that case. Two dead and you injured. Everything about that night was odd and seemed rushed. He's had nothing but time to stew on things for the past two decades. Either way, we will find her, Kaja," says Ben as they get into the car.

Kaja drives to the address given to them by the cashier. She does her best to push her fears for Cass' safety to the side and focus on following the leads until they find her. The address is an abandoned building. "Dammit, just as I thought. He took the tracking device off the car and put is some place to make it look like it was parked. This is a few blocks from the room he rented.

Ben points to the house, "Want to check it?"

"Wouldn't hurt, I suppose. Might find something," replies Kaja as she starts to pry off the boards across the front door.

Ben helps with a few boards then they enter the house together, weapons drawn. Both turn their flashlights on then they do a quick sweep through the house. All they find is rodent dropping, used drug paraphernalia, and other debris scattered all over the floor. The rodents scatter when the light hits them. "Goddess, this place smells like shit."

"Gee, Sarge, I wonder why?" teases Ben trying to lighten Kaja's mood.

"Why don't you write me a thousand word report explaining why this house smells like shit, Detective," says Kaja with sarcasm in her tone.

Ben replies, "When do you want your report, Sarge?"

Kaja grins at Ben. "I want it on my desk by 0700, Detective." They continue to search the house. "There's nothing here. If he was here, he didn't stay long or leave anything behind. I need some fresh air, lets go, Ben" says Kaja before she heads back outside to breath the fresh air and not stale, shit smelling air. Leaning against the car, Kaja looks at Ben. "Any ideas besides going from cabin to cabin. There are dozens of cabins to search, all spread out with several miles between them." Kaja waves her right arm from her left to the her right as she points at the mountain range overlooking the city.

Ben leans against the car too. His arms are folded across his chest. "I know. If he's been here a week, he's been planning this since he got out three weeks ago."

"And that just pisses me off, Ben. Knowing he's been here for a week and I didn't know about it until he took Cass. Fucking Alliance let him through the spaceport without question. I don't know where to go now. Everything we have is getting us nowhere." Kaja smacks the side of her fist against the car door.

"Hungry? I'm hungry. I know a good little take out joint not far from here." Ben smacks Kaja's arm to get her attention then motions with his head to get in it. "Come on, I'll show you where."

The partners get back into the car and Ben tells Kaja where the restaurant is. It's a break they both need. Ben is sure Kaja hasn't eaten anything since lunch. They've been following the leads for hours and they haven't stopped once to grab something. If this turns into an all-niter, they will need to eat something to keep going. Ben needs more coffee too.

Kaja and Ben sit at a table on the sidewalk, eating their late dinner when the asari gets a message from Liara. Kaja shoves the last bite of her chicken sandwich into her mouth as she reads the message. A grin appears when she finishes it. "Mom sent me the location to two different cabins in the mountains. She thinks Jimmy and Cass are at one of them. Did you get the car info from the cashier on what his car looks like?"

Ben leans his head to the left and gives her a disappointed look. "Of course, I got that. I have learned a thing or two from you over the years, you know." A cheeky grin appears on his face. "Lets go and find Cass. He finishes his steak sandwich. Ben orders two large coffees to go before they leave the city to hopefully find Dr. Mitchell in one of the two cabins in the mountains.

Jimmy finds it amusing to watch Cass attempt to eat her dinner with her wounded left wrist. She's unable to wrap her thumb around the spoon, so she spills as much stew as she gets into her mouth. He thought Rocco was a sloppy eater, Cass is much worse. At least she has an excuse for being sloppy, unlike Rocco. He chuckles a little to himself as he gets up to get a second helping. Cass is barely three bites into her first bowl.

Cass' calmness or willingness to do what he says is bugging Jimmy some. He expected her to at least yell or cuss at him. Maybe he should have taken the daughter instead. Jimmy shakes his head as he thinks to himself. _No, it's better this way. This way, I can kill them both and leave their children orphans. Besides, kids are problems and the last think I need are problems. Damn, Cass, you do look good for someone who has been beat up and stabbed._ He chuckles more when he sits down next to her hostage. "Like your stew, doctor?"

The smugness in Jimmy's voice makes Cass' skin crawl. The way he watches her also makes her skin crawl. She's willing to do as she is told without any fuss. So far, he's been half way pleasant. There is a growing pain in her face where he backhanded her earlier. Cass has to lean as close to the bowl as she can and attempt to shovel the meat and veggies into her mouth. Without the control from her thumb, holding the spoon is nearly impossible. Add in her being tied to the chair, this is a meal she won't soon forget.

She wonders if pandering to him will help the situation or not. It won't make her feel any better, but it might cause him to stop slapping her around. The stew tastes good. It's eatable and that is what matters. It could use more spice, but the mix of meat to veggies is well done. "Yes, Jimmy. It's good, thank you."

"Always the polite one, aren't you, with your please and thank you. You can steal a man's heart that way,doctor." Jimmy covers his heart with both hands in a fake attempt to act like he is in love.

Cass looks away unable to tolerate looking at his smug face. She can't stand being near him. To see him, to hear him and worst of all, to smell him. If she could get away, she'd run. Jimmy has a pistol and a knife, so running really isn't much of an option. He stabbed her already and she wouldn't put it past him if she did run for him to shoot her in the back. That does seem like something he would do.

"If that is the type of woman you desire, Jimmy, why don't you have one? A nice girl. I can only imagine the riff-raft you fuck?" The moment those words escaped her lips, Cass regretted saying them. The last thing she wanted to do was to piss him off and from the look on his face, she has done just that. Piss him off.

Jimmy flings his left arm across the table, sending Cass' bowl flying until it crashes against the wall with pieces of it scattering all over the floor. He balls his hand into a fist and uses it like a sledge-hammer on Cass' already injured wrist. Hearing her cry out in pain, makes him excited. Not in a sexual way, in a twisted demented way. He likes hurting people and even though he's not a rapist, he is going to make Cass think he is going to have his way with her. Jimmy slaps Cass with his right hand then his left. "Oh, I bet you want me inside you, huh?"

He unties Cass from the chair and forces her on her stomach, spread eagle across the table. He binds her legs to the table legs and has her bent at the waist with her arms attached to the other table legs. The only thing Cass manages to say as she whimpers in pain is, "No."

The escaped convict laughs as he runs his hand over Cass' back then slaps her ass several times before he walks away. Jimmy smirks and chuckles when he returns with a broom. He runs the handle along Cass' inner thigh. He positions the broom in a way if Cass moves, the broom will penetrate her. It's a trick he learned in prison. He leaves Cass alone tied to the table as he heads to the bathroom to take a cold shower. When he returns to the kitchen, he unties Cass and moves her back into the bedroom. Jimmy removes the medi-gel bandage from her wounded wrist. He strokes her hair then whispers into her ear, "Lucky for you, doctor. I don't want T'Soni's sloppy seconds." He backhands her again, "But I don't mind smacking your around."

Cass isn't sure which hurts worse, her face or her left wrist. The longer she goes without any medical treatment on her wrist the chances go up she could lose the use of her thumb. If she lives that is. The more Jimmy smacks her around the more she is sure he will kill her or force Kaja to choose. Saving her life or going after him. She hopes she's wrong, but by the way Jimmy is acting since she pissed him off, she highly doubts it. Jimmy goes from slapping and backhanding Dr. Mitchell to using his fist to punch her in the face. It only takes a few punches for Cass to pass out from the pain.

Ben smacks Kaja's arm when they pass what he thinks is an abandoned skycar. "Turn around, Kaja, I thought I saw something worth investigating. It looked shiny when the light reflected off of it."

"Where?" asks Kaja after she turns the car around and drives slower and lower to the ground. She turns on the car's high beam on to brighten the area.

"There," says Ben as he points to his left. "I was right. I did see something. That looks like Cass' car. I know you put that dent in the rear bumper."

"Goddess, please don't let her be in the car," says Kaja as she runs and opens her bondmate's car. The asari's eyes get as big as saucers when she sees the dried blood in the car along with a still wet pool. Kaja looks down and sees a trail of blood droplets leading away from the car. The trail stops ten meters from the abandoned car. She scans the blood to see if she can get a blood type. The scan tells her the blood matches Cass' blood type. "Shit, Ben, this blood is the same type as Cass'. That is Cass' car."

Ben sees the note stuck to the seat, but doesn't pick it up. "Looks like Nichols left a note."

"What's it say?" asks Kaja.

"Just two words. She's mine," answers Ben. He opens his omni-tool to contact dispatch to get a crime scene unit to their location. "Want me to get a CSI unit here?"

Kaja looks for more clues around the car and finds what looks like part of a medi-gel patch. "Yes, Ben, call this in, but we're not staying." Pointing to the ground, Kaja says, "It looks like he bandaged up her wound. The blood trail goes from here to the car."

"There's a pool of blood in the front seat. I wonder what caused it?" Ben has his omni-tool open, looking at which cabin is the closest to their current location. "Nichols has a sense of irony. First, he uses your father's last name. Now this." He shows Kaja the cabin's location.

"That cabin overlooks my neighborhood. That son-of-a-bitch. I believe there is a good size lake near that cabin. We'll park on the far side and walk around. Yes, I know it will take longer, but I hope to surprise him and get Cass out of there." Kaja hustles to her car with Ben right on her six.

Kaja drives the skycar low and fast until they reach their destination. She parks the skycar as far away from the cabin as possible. They exit the car and slowly make their way to the cabin they think has Jimmy and Cass. The ex-partners remain silent during their walk. The way Kaja moves through the foliage is a sight to witness. Ben sees her military training in action. They take their time, keeping an eye on their target. The human detective isn't sure what is going through his friend's mind, but Kaja is focused on one thing. Finding her bondmate and handling Jimmy Nichols. Deep down, Ben thinks Kaja will not go easy on him. Not after seeing what looks like Cass' blood in her car. He's unsure how far he is willing to let her go and he also thinks it depends on what happens once they get there.

Once they get closer to the cabin, Kaja puts on a visor and uses it to scan the surrounding area and the cabin. From their view, there are a few lights on, but the visor is not picking up any movement inside the cabin. Kaja whispers to Ben, "Watch the backdoor. I'm going in." She turns on her tactical cloak then walks towards the cabin's front door. Ben nods to Kaja then moves in the opposite direction from his ex-partner. He finds a nice spot to keep surveillance on the backdoor then gets comfortable.

Kaja uncloaks when she is next to the cabin. Her SMG in her hand, Kaja does a few calming breathes before she cloaks again and sneaks inside the cabin. She opens the door then closes it before ducking behind a living room chair, Kaja uncloaks again. She peeks around the chair to the left then to the right. Off to the right is a mess on the floor. Looks like someone knocked their dinner onto the floor. Curious no one cleaned it up. Seeing no one is close by, Kaja moves closer to the bedrooms. It's where she thinks she hears slapping or hitting going on. Hearing it makes Kaja's heart race faster. She needs to hurry, but not rush at the same time.

Jimmy has stopped using Cass as a punching bag. He looks out the window facing the lake behind the cabin and sees headlights from a skycar. He rubs his hand together then grabs a knife from his boot. He looks at Cass' body lying on the bed. Her face is swollen, bruised, blooded, and broken. Her left hand and wrist look the same as her face. Jimmy debates with himself on what he wants to do to Cass. _Do I kill you and your asari bitch? Or just the your asari bitch? Too bad you passed out, doctor or I would ask you._ He chuckles in an evil way. _Do I shank you where you'll die slowly or do it quickly? How do you want to die? Slow or quick? Quick or slow?_ He chuckles again then turns his attention to the lake area behind the cabin. That is where T'Soni is coming from.

The moon lights up the sky perfectly. Jimmy nods in excitement when he see two shadows approaching the cabin then split up. "Perfect, T'Soni. Use that cloak. You'll uncloak the moment you see me with your wife," says Jimmy to himself. He moves from the window to the bed. He slaps Cass across the face. "Wake up, bitch. Your asari bitch is here and you don't want to disappoint her now do you?"

Cass doesn't move, so Jimmy slaps her again. He gets a glass from the bathroom, fills it with hot steamy water, then tosses it in Cass' face, causing her to jerk awake. The heat from the water makes the open wounds on her face sting. He punches her in the stomach when she wakes. It's an area he hasn't beat on yet. Jimmy punches Cass again, causing her to double over in pain. A quick backhand lands between her left temple and eye. Cass felt the bone around her eye give way. She's in too much pain to move or cry out. She is at his mercy and Jimmy isn't being very merciful.

Hearing a board creak, Jimmy moves behind his hostage, puts his pistol next to her temple. He slides his knife into Cass' back, hitting her left kidney, and leaves the blade stinking in her after twisting it to cause more internal damage. He wraps his left arm around Cass to hold her upright while he waits for T'Soni to enter the bedroom.

Kaja moves quickly and quietly across the cabin until she accidentally steps on the loose board and it makes a noise. She's sure Jimmy has heard it and uncloaks. The cabin is quiet again, which tells the detective the beating has stopped. With her SMG across her left forearm, Kaja opens the door with her left hand and slowly enters. She puts both hands on her gun when she sees Jimmy with a pistol to Cass' head. She doesn't notice the pool of Cass' blood on the floor and growing with bigger with every second that ticks by.

"Let her go, Jimmy. I won't say it again," demands Kaja. She takes a half-step closer.

"Take another step, T'Soni and I'll use her brains to redecorate the room," replies Nichols.

Kaja's visor sends her data on Cass' condition and she's not liking what she's reading. Cass is getting weaker by the second and Kaja knows it. She looks down then notices the blood on the floor. "She dies, Nichols, so do you. I promise you that."

"She's dying now, T'Soni. I feel her getting weaker and if I let go, she hits the floor." Jimmy lets Cass slip some in his arms before holding her securely again. "Put the weapons on the floor. Flare your biotics and I will shoot her. Do it now, T'Soni!" He pushes the gun barrel against Cass' head hard enough to leave a mark.

Kaja's in a no win situation and she knows it. She glances at Cass, who she barely recognizes from the beating she has taken. Cass tries to open her eyes, but the attempt is futile. She uses her good arm to motion towards Jimmy. Kaja sees what her bondmate wants and is sad Cass is willing to give herself up so Kaja can get Jimmy. The asari glares at Jimmy while she put hands up in defeat and lies her pistol and SMG on the floor then kicks them both towards Jimmy. Cass is still pointing at her captor and mouths two words to Kaja, "Take him."

In a flash, Kaja picks Jimmy up with her biotics and slams him against the wall. He turns his pistol towards Kaja and fires a few rounds but the bullets only manage to bounce off Kaja's shields before he hits the wall with a thud. His body leaves an impression in the wall. The pistol falls from his grasp as he lies in a heap on the floor. She then picks him up again and tosses him across the room then through the window. The convict lies motionless on the ground after landing near Ben. The human detective moves from his cover to check on Jimmy. No pulse, but Ben takes no chances and cuffs Jimmy anyway. While he runs into the cabin, Ben calls for support with medical attention needed. He doubts Kaja would have tossed Jimmy through the window if he hadn't attempted hurt her or Cass.

Kaja kneels in the pool of blood on the floor to takes Cass into her arms. She covers the knife wound with her hand and puts pressure on it. "Hang on, Cass. Don't leave me. Goddess, please Cass, don't leave me." She hears Ben calling for support in her earpiece. "Help is coming." She feels for Cass' pulse and is having a hard time finding it. Her visor's info blinks in bold red letters, "Critical"

Cass reaches up to touch Kaja's face one last time. She knows she only has a few more precious seconds before she succumbs to her wounds "Take care of them, Kaja. I...lo...ve you." Cass' voice is so soft, Kaja barely hears her. Cass' arm falls to her side as her body goes limp.

"No, Cass, don't go. Fight for our kids. They want their mom. I love you," cries Kaja as she holds Cass' limp body close, rocking her bondmate like a baby.

Ben walks in to see Kaja rocking Cass, crying. He sees the condition Cass is in and it breaks his heart. He feels no remorse for the dead outside, but feels Kaja's pain when he see how much pain his ex-partner and best friend is in. "Kaja, I've called for medical assistance. Need me to do anything besides wait?"

Kaja looks up at Ben. She gently places Cass on the floor, then places a soft kiss on Cass' lips. "Where's Jimmy?" asks Kaja as she leaves the bedroom heading out the backdoor.

"Outside, he's dead, Kaja. I checked his pulse and didn't find one," replies Ben as he follows the asari.

"I have to see for myself, Ben." Kaja stops so she can turn to face her friend. "I hope I turned his insides into jelly. Fucking prick." She kneels down next to Jimmy's body and checks for a pulse. Finding none, she uncuffs him then tosses Ben his handcuffs back. Kaja takes a few more steps before she falls to her knees weeping. "She's gone, Ben. She's gone."

Ben helps Kaja to her feet and walks with her until they get back inside the cabin. He has Kaja sit in a chair while they wait for support. When Ben waits outside, Kaja leaves the living room to sit on the floor next to her bondmate. Kaja's tears roll down her cheeks. "Goddess, I wasn't fast enough. I failed to protect you, Cass. You knew you were dying? Didn't you, Cass? That's why you wanted me to take out Jimmy. Where ever you are now, Cass. I hope my dad's with you and you both are watching over me and our kids." Kaja cries harder as she covers her face with her hands. "How do I tell them I got the bad guy, but the bad guy got mom first? I'm sorry, Cass, I tried my hardest to protect you and it wasn't enough. It's wasn't enough."

Ben enters the bedroom with two medical techs from the Alliance. Ben helps Kaja give the techs room to move Cass' body. Kaja starts shaking when they put her bondmate into a body bag. Jimmy being dead isn't good enough, she wants to take out everyone responsible for helping Jimmy and she doesn't care where they are from. Willow Prison, Omega, it doesn't matter, Kaja will hunt for these people. She has the connections to make it happen.

The Alliance officer in charge takes statements from both Ben and Kaja. Both detectives cooperate with the Alliance. Kaja goes with Cass to the morgue while Ben gets Kaja's car and follows behind. By the time they get back into the city, Kaja has stopped crying and is ready to fill out any paperwork she needs to. She needs time to figure out how she is going to explain to Eric and Derek, their mother is never coming back. Filling out paperwork is a good enough distraction until she can face her sons.

Deputy Chief Perez is waiting for Sargent T'Soni at the morgue. The department knew T'Soni and Livingston were looking for Dr. Mitchell, so no other investigators where assigned to the case. Not proper department procedure, but some times the procedures get in the way of police work and many at the top are willing to look away during those times. This is one of those times. The Alliance has voiced its displeasure at being left out of the loop until it was over, but Perez will cross that bridge when she needs to.

"Are you okay, Sargent T'Soni?" ask Perez when Kaja enters the waiting area.

"No, no I'm not. I wasn't fast enough, Chief," answers the grieving asari.

Perez pats Kaja on the shoulder, "Go home, Kaja, be with your family. I'll make sure they release her body as soon as possible. You want a full autopsy?"

"Yes, ma'am. I've already ordered it. I don't know what to say to them. I failed and according to Derek the good guys never fail." Tears form in Kaja's eyes again when she thinks about her sons being without their mother.

"Detective Livingston, take your partner home." Chief Perez looks at Kaja, "Sargent, you're on personal leave for the next month Stop by my office at your earliest convenience and we'll talk. For now, go home and take care of your family."

Ben nods to Perez. "Come on, Kaja. Let me get you home. Do you need me to do anything for you? Just tell me and it's done."

Shaking her head no, Kaja says, "I appreciate it, Ben, but no. Just take me home, so I can shower and go to my mom's and pick up my kids who are now without their mother." She covers her face again with her hands and starts weeping. During the ride home, Kaja calms herself enough to contact her mom to inform her on what happened and she is on her way home.

Liara tells her the kids are sleeping and doesn't think it's a good idea to wake them with the news. It is almost 0300. Kaja lost track of time once Cass died in her arms. Ben parks her car in its normal spot in the driveway. He gives Kaja a hug. "If you need anything, call. Even if you only need to talk. I will always have your back, Sarge."

"Thanks, Ben, for everything," Kaja walks into the house to shower then heads to her moms for the night.

Looking around the house, Kaja's heart sinks. She sees Cass' influence everywhere. Kaja looks at the newest family picture hanging in the hallway. The one they took a week after the twin's sixth birthday. Hanging her head, Kaja heads to the bathroom to get cleaned up. She piles her armor and weapons on the floor then jumps into a hot steamy shower. Instead of breaking down, Kaja forces herself to focus on her children. They're going to need her now more than ever. After everything that happened today, Kaja wonders if she can honestly return to work and be any good at it. Teaching at the Academy or being back on the street.

She wonders if that is why Perez gave her a month off. To give her time to figure out what to do next. Kaja changes into a peach colored dress. A color Cass always liked seeing her wearing. Liara is waiting by the front door when Kaja finally comes over. The elder asari hugs her daughter tight. "What happened?"

"Not now, mom. Just know we weren't fast enough and he killed her. I failed to protect my family from him," says Kaja. Her tone is ice cold. She walks to check on her children. Karrera is sleeping in her old bedroom and the boys are sleeping together in Liv's old room. Kaja looks at Gaia's old room then walks back into the living room. She wants a bed to sleep on, but not Gaia's. It's petty and she knows it, but doesn't care at the same time.

Kaja curls up on the sofa. She looks at her mom. "Have you contacted anyone? I need to call Cass' parents on Earth. They need to know."

Liara sits in a chair next to Kaja. "I've contacted your sisters. Liv is picking up Gaia and they should be here some time in the morning Gaia was in the middle of a production shoot and walked out of it, Kaja. Remember that when she gets here."

"Thanks mom. I'm surprised Gaia is leaving work. What did you say to her to get her to leave work?" asks Kaja. She sits up and looks at her mom.

Liara pats her daughter's thigh, "I politely told her there are times when your family needs you and this is one of those times. She didn't argue with me, Kaja."

"Maybe she's changing after all. How to do I tell them?" asks the grieving asari.

"I'm not sure, Kaja. I'm sorry I don't have an answer. The only thing I can think of is to be honest with them without going into many details." Liara fights the urge to cry too. If Kaja failed, she did as well. She's always liked Cassandra and is already missing the human.

Kaja moves to hug her mom before she walks to Gaia's old room to attempt to sleep. She isn't sure if she'll actually sleep, but she needs to lie down. She doesn't remember the last time she slept alone and isn't looking forward to doing it from now on. She lies on the bed, grabs a pillow and clutches it then starts weeping. Kaja cries until she falls sleep, but she doesn't really sleep. Every hour she wakes up to an empty bed. Cries more then falls back asleep. She does this until the sun rises then she decides to stay up for the day.

She sits outside, looks up at the mountains, then feels sick to her stomach. Jimmy might have died last night, but he won in the end. Kaja has lost everything or so she feels she's lost everything. The patio door opens, Kaja turns to see Eric standing there still in his pajamas with Derek in his pajamas standing behind Eric. She covers her mouth and holds back her tears. Kaja isn't ready to tell them their mother died and she is never coming home again.

Eric and Derek both join Kaja to give her a hug. Eric asks, "Momma, where's mom?"


	10. Chapter X

Chapter X

Citadel

Liv fumbles with her apartment key, trying to get the door open. Her problem is Tracy is kissing the most sensitive areas on her neck. Once Liv gets the door open, she turns to kiss Tracy. They enter the apartment kissing, groping each other. Liv kicks the door shut with her foot, breaks the kiss long enough to ask, "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes." Tracy removes her shoes before she runs both hands across Liv's face, pulls her closer, then kisses the asari.

They lose themselves in each other and make it as far as the couch before Liv's eyes turn black. This is something both want and desire, to feel their naked bodies against each other, to hear the sounds emitting from their pleasure. Liv's dress ends up hanging off a chair, while Tracy slides out of her dress as they slowly kiss and walk towards the bedroom. Bras and panties litter the floor as the asari/human couple land on Liv's bed.

Tracy's on top, nibbling on the asari's neck, while Liv's hand explores the hairy area between Tracy's legs. A soft moan escapes the human's lips and she moves her hips against Liv's fingers. Tracy's hands move all over Liv's body while her lips plant soft kisses along the asari's neck and chest. The last thing either expected is for Liv's comm to start buzzing at this late hour. They ignore the incoming call and continue to pleasure each other.

The comm stops buzzing then a minute later, the caller calls again. They continue to ignore the caller until the fourth call. Tracy moves to Liv's side. "Liv, please answer that, so we can get back to our business." She kisses the asari before Liv gets out of bed to answer her comm.

Liv puts on her robe then answers the call. "What?" asks Liv without checking to see who is calling. Tracy shakes her head at her lover because Liv's being rude to her mom.

Liara politely asks, "Am I interrupting something, Olivia?"

"No, well, yes. What do you need, mom? You normally don't call repeatedly." Liv is still being rude to her mom.

"Then that should tell you what I need to tell you is important. I need you to come home. Something happened tonight and I want you and Gaia home," says Liara. She's a little annoyed with Olivia's tone, but gets a feeling Liv is with someone and her call interrupted their meld. If that is the case, Liv's rudeness is warranted and understandable.

Liv looks over to Tracy, who is moving to stand behind her. "What happened, mom?" Tracy wraps her arms around Liv from behind and holds her.

Liara wonders how much to tell her daughter over a comm link about what is going on. "Kaja needs you right now, Olivia. I know you won't want to do this, but please do it anyway. Go to Earth and pick up Gaia. Here is her location. I'll make sure she's expecting you. I don't want to go into details, just know Kaja needs her family. That includes Gaia."

Liv's heart sinks to the pit of her stomach. Either something happened to Kaja and she's in the hospital or something happened to Cass or the kids. Liv isn't sure which thought is worse. Kaja being hurt or something happening to Cass or the kids. The last time mom called telling Liv to come home, Kaja was in the hospital with a gun shot wound to the shoulder. "I'll rent a shuttle and pick Gaia up. What if she doesn't or can't leave. What do you want me to do then, mom?"

"If she refuses or can't come home, then leave her on Earth. I'm sure I can persuade her to come home. I'll let her know your coming. I love you, Olivia," says Liara before she ends the transmission.

Liv covers her face and says, "No, no, no. What did he do?" She turns in Tracy's arms and starts crying knowing something bad has happened. She doesn't know what happened, but knows it's bad.

Tracy rubs Liv's back trying to comfort her. She gets a feeling something happened to Cass not Kaja. "Worry about that when you get to Elysium. I have to work in the morning, Liv. I'll catch the first available shuttle to Elysium after work and I should be there late tonight."

Liv steps back, looking at Tracy. "You don't need to do that."

"Yes, I do. Cass is my closest friend. If something happened and Kaja needs you, then I want to be there too. I'd leave with you and deal with Gaia if I didn't have to work," says Tracy as she wipes the tears from Liv's face.

"I love you." Liv kisses Tracy then goes to get dressed and pack a few days worth of clothes for her trip to Elysium. Normally, Liv loves going home to visit her mom and Kaja. Especially loves the time with her nephews. This isn't a normal trip home. Liv's only gotten a few calls from mom to come home unexpectedly and it's always bad. Dad dying, Kaja getting shot, now this.

"I love you too, Liv. What do you want me to do?" asks Tracy as she hunts for her panties. She finds them on the floor next to the bedroom door.

Liv changes into a pair of navy blue cargo pants and a dark purple knit shirt. She ties her boots then starts packing her bag. "Nothing really. Stay here if you want. I can take a taxi to the docks and rent a shuttle."

Tracy puts her shoes back on then joins Liv in the bedroom. She holds the asari in her arms. "I'll take you. I'll go home, pack before going to bed. That way I can take my bag to work then head to the shuttles when I get off. If I can work it out, I'll leave early. Want me to contact you before I leave?"

The asari leans back against her human girlfriend. "Nah, I'll be at either my mom's or Kaja's house depending on where I'm needed."

Liv zips her bag, then looks around her bedroom wondering what else she should bring with her. Putting the bag over her shoulder, Liv takes Tracy's hand as they leave the apartment. Tracy drops Liv off at the shuttle docks then heads home to pack her bag for her trip to Elysium. A wonderful late night was brewing, only to be squashed by news from Liv's mother about her sister. Both knew that call was coming, yet neither expected to receive it.

* * *

Earth

Gaia T'Soni sits in her trailer relaxing before she is needed on set. The one thing Gaia doesn't care for very much is production shoots at night. She'll do them without complaining about it because it's part of her job. But she'd prefer not working at night and tonight's production is going to last until the sun comes up. They get to do it again tomorrow. Her human personal assistant enters the trailer's main area, "Gaia, ma'am. Your mother is on the comm link. She says it's important."

Gaia's relationship with her family has been strained for almost seven years. She doesn't talk to her older sister, Kaja. She doesn't talk to her younger sister, Olivia. She barely talks to her mother and if her mother is calling, it's important. "Thank you, Dee. Now, please leave." Gaia's tone is curt and dismissive

"Of course, Gaia. Would you like for me to get you anything?" asks Dee.

Gaia shakes her head, "No, thank you." Dee bows respectfully to her employer then leaves the trailer to give Gaia the privacy she needs. The actress answers the comm on the terminal next to the sofa she is lounging on. Liara's face appears on the screen which makes the young asari smile. "Hi, mom. What do you need?"

"Hello, Gaia. I need for you to come home," says Liara.

"Why?" Gaia wonders why she needs to go back to Elysium. Her mother's tone is stern and yet it has a softness to it Which tells Gaia something is wrong back home. Chances are it has something to do with Kaja.

Sighing, Liara answers, "Gaia, remember after your fight with Kaja when I said there would come a day your family will need you. That day has come, Gaia. Please don't argue with me, just come home. Olivia is on her way to pick you up."

Gaia rubs her crest, thinking. She has one scene today and two scheduled for tomorrow night Her part in this vid is small enough, maybe the director will work with her about it. If not, she'll leave and take the PR hit. If her mom wants her home, she'll go home. "Fine, mom, I'll come home. I am working, though mom. I will try to arrange it to where I can leave when Liv gets here. What's going on?"

"I'll tell you and Olivia more when you get here. I love you, Gaia. I have other things I need to do," replies Liara.

"Love you too, mom. I guess I'll see you soon." Gaia ends the call then goes looking for the director.

Normally, salarian directors have their production schedule set in stone and hustles the crew to keep things on time. This director isn't a normal salarian. His productions are more relaxed and they don't always get everything done when it needs to get done, but he rarely goes over budget, so he's given leeway on that by most of the producers he works for.

Gaia walks up the salarian saying, "Mort, I need a moment of your time. It's important."

Mort finishes talking to a crew member then turns his attention to Gaia, "Sure, Gaia, what is it?"

"I just got a call from my mother. I have a family emergency back on Elysium. My younger sister is on her way from the Citadel to pick me up," says Gaia. She gives her director a sympathetic. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay and work tonight and I don't know when I'll be back."

Mort looks at the production schedule for the next five days. Gaia is needed for three days, but her scenes can all be shot in one day. She's a known star doing a small role in a low-budget film. He's willing to change the production schedule around her emergency. It's unlike the asari to ask to leave during filming. Her reputation around the industry is she comes to work every day, does her job professionally, and rarely complains. "Okay, Gaia. We can do your scenes when you get back. I need you back by Monday night."

Gaia places her hand on Mort's upper arm, "Thank you, Mort. It might be in your best interest to replace me. I don't know when I will return. My mother didn't go into specifics, so I don't know what is going on, but I know it's serious. She wouldn't have called if it wasn't."

"I hate to lose you, Gaia. Contact me when you find out more and then I'll make my decision to replace you or not," pleads Mort with his hands clasped together.

The asari grins at Mort, "I will. Thanks again." She heads back to her trailer to gather her things so she can meet Liv at the spaceport. "Dee, cancel everything on my schedule until I say other wise. I'm headed to Elysium," says Gaia when she walks by Dee.

Dee follows Gaia into the trailer. "Do you need me to get you a shuttle, ma'am?"

"No, Dee, I don't. My sister is picking me up. I just need the driver to take me to the spaceport from the hotel," answers Gaia as she grabs the few personal things she brought with her.

Gaia and Dee leave the production, heading back to the hotel. During the ride to the hotel, Gaia wonders what is going on back home. Until two days ago, she was vacationing in Hawai'i and hasn't paid much attention to the news. She shakes her head at Dee, who is arguing with a batarian about Gaia canceling an appearance. She patches into Dee's call, "Dray, this might come as a surprise to you. My family is important to me. I have a situation back home and I can't attend your opening Saturday evening. I'm sorry, but you'll have to continue without me."

The batarian, Dray, replies, "You owe me, Gaia. I'm going to have a lot of disappointed people to deal with. Me included."

"Fine, fine, Dray. I owe you. I'll contact you when I get back and we'll talk." Gaia chuckles a little. Dray is so dramatic, but an excellent painter and sculptor and has been nervous about his opening for the past two weeks.

He has several painting going on display and a few smaller sculpted pieces as well. His bigger pieces aren't finished and the batarian hopes he can finish them soon and have another showing. "Buy one of my pieces, Gaia. That way I can put a 'sold to Gaia' sign on it. If you buy one of my pieces, others will buy them too."

"How much, Dray?" asks Gaia. She rolls her eyes. He's got a quad, she thinks. Then again, she is bailing on him for family responsibility.

"How does ten thousand sound?" Dray hopes the low amount isn't offensive, he isn't looking to fleece a friend.

Laughing when she hears the amount, Gaia counters, "I'll give you fifty and you pick the painting for me. I am sorry Dray, I was looking forward to attending your opening Saturday. I'll make it up to you when I get back. I gotta go." Gaia terminates the call.

The car parks next to the front door, Gaia and Dee both go inside and pack their things. Gaia doesn't have much with her, so packing it doesn't take long. She's double-checking the room when her omni-tool starts beeping. "Hi, Liv."

Liv has a somber look on her face and it makes Gaia wonder if Liv knows what is going on. The look on her face says she knows something. "Hi Gaia. I'm in queue to dock. I've been assigned dock AA-14. I can pick you up if you want."

"No, I have a car waiting for me. What's going on, Liv?" asks the middle sibling.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's good, Gaia. Especially if mom is telling us to come home and tells me to pick you up. However, Gaia, I can speculate on it if you want," answers Liv.

Gaia slings her bag over her shoulder, "Tell me what you think when I get there. I'm leaving now."

The call between them ends, Gaia checks out of her hotel room, and gets into the car to go to dock AA-14. She opens the extranet terminal in the car and looks over news from Elysium. There's nothing about her family in the news, so what ever is going on, the news outlets don't have a story yet. If there is really anything going on. Gaia shakes that thought from her head. The call from her mom, the look on Liv's face when she called all tell the actress something is wrong at home. Mom didn't tell Liv either, so she doesn't think she's being left out of the loop. Which is a relief to the actress.

The driver parks the car as close to AA-14 as possible. Gaia informs her driver she will contact him when she returns from her trip and to enjoy his time off. Gaia usually takes her driver and assistant with her on every trip she takes, but has been asked by mom in the past to not bring her entourage with her when she comes home. So, Gaia has come home alone since. Which isn't enough by her mother's standards. She doesn't see a point to coming home when Kaja is two houses down and refuses to speak to her.

Gaia thinks to herself as she walks from the car to the dock. Maybe this is the time to mend fences with her older sister and her family. Gaia knows about Karrera and the twins. She did see Karrera in the house when she was fighting with Kaja outside by the pool. She's never actually met them, but both Liv and Liara have told her about her niece and nephews. Finally meeting them during this time feels awkward to her already. She can only imagine what Cass or Kaja has told them about her. She uses the turian, Garrus' philosophy about expecting the worse.

Liv docks the shuttle when Gaia arrives. "Perfect timing, Liv," comments Gaia when she sees Liv. "I just arrived."

"You look good, Gaia. It's nice seeing you." Liv takes Gaia's bag from her as the two sisters enter the shuttle.

Gaia sits in the copilot's chair, while Liv stows the bag, then flops in the pilot's seat. "You look worried, Liv. What's do you think is going on?"

Waiting for the systems to go from standby to ready, Liv asks, "Paid any attention to major news stories in the past three weeks?"

"No, I have not. I was vacationing, relaxing from a stressful production. I wasn't paying attention to much of anything beside lounging around being waited on hand and foot until a few days ago. Why, what happened?" responds Gaia.

Liv sighs, wishing she didn't need to explain what's going on with their older sister. "Remember the last time mom asked us to come home?" Liv would rather ask Gaia a bunch of questions, so she can maybe figure it out on her own than tell her directly. If Gaia doesn't piece it together, she will have to tell her.

Gaia gives Liv a curious look. "You think what's going on now has to do with what happened to Kaja two decades ago?"

"Yes, Gaia, I do." Liv pilots the shuttle away from Earth, heading to the Mass Relay.

"Why?" Gaia isn't understanding everything and feels something is missing, but doesn't know what. Then it comes to her. "Oh, it has to do with those escape convicts, doesn't it? That I did hear about. People were talking about it, but I'll be honest, Liv, I wasn't paying that much attention to what was going on."

"Yes, it has to do with that. We can speculate all the way home, but I'd rather not talk about it, Gaia. I fear the worst," says Liv bluntly.

Gaia sits in her chair and thinks about her relationship with her older sister and why they no longer speak to each other. Liv hasn't spoken to her in years and yet, she's acting like they are still close. Will Kaja do the same? Or has something happened to her sister? She isn't sure, but hopes Kaja is alright and they can patch their relationship. Perhaps, they can go back to being sisters, not two people who know each other but never talk.

The two sisters don't speck much during the flight to Elysium. Gaia nods off in her chair. Liv does the same after setting the auto-pilot with an alarm to sound when they are ten minutes from the relay. Liv's thoughts before she dozes off are on both her sister and her girlfriend. She's more worried about Kaja now than she was before her mom's call. She's never been more grateful to have Tracy back in her life. She isn't sure she would have gotten though her professional disaster without her.

Elysium

Eric asks, "Momma, where's mom?"

Kaja pulls both boys close again before attempting to regain her composure. They need her to be strong like always, but since Cass is gone, Kaja feels adrift without her anchor. She cups each boy's cheek with her hand. Eric with her left and Derek with her right. She says, "Eric, Derek. Mom isn't coming home."

Liara and Karrera are both standing on the patio behind the boys and Kaja. Liara puts her arm around Karrera's shoulder and squeezes it tenderly. The youngest asari asks, "What happened, dad?"

Kaja's hands start to shake, she looks at her sons who are both confused, but not crying. She doesn't think they understand she's never coming home. Not yet anyway. Since everyone but her sisters are here, Kaja decides to tell them what happened. She holds both boys close, while she says, "We were too late. There wasn't anything I could do to save her. She died in my arms." Tears roll down Kaja's face when the boys start crying and clinging to her.

Derek say through the sniffling and the tears, "Bad guys never win, momma, bad guys never win."

Kaja feels bad enough but Derek's words cut through her like a hot knife to butter. Only with a jagged edge because this wound hurts even more. Unable to give any response to her son's comment, Kaja looks at him with tears in her eyes. She misses his mother as much as he does. What can she say to help him understand that sometimes the bad guys do win. His words also resonates with her in a positive way. The bad guys only win if you give up and she's not about to give up. Her sons need her now more than ever and she's determined to be there for them.

She wipes her face with her palm then says, "Hungry? We can go home and I'll cook us something to eat."

Eric continues weeping, but attempts to say, "Anything, momma?"

Liara says, "I'll cook some banana pancakes and plain pancakes with the banana on the side for you, Eric."

"You don't have to do that, mom. I can cook," says Kaja.

Liara admires Kaja's fortitude during this time. Maybe she should worry about her less, but she won't and she knows it. Kaja's too much like Leia in many different ways. "I want to, Kaja. One thing you don't need to worry about today is cooking. Have you contacted Cassandra's parents yet?"

Shaking her head, Kaja answers, "No, I should go do that." She looks at her weeping sons, "Will you two go and changed out of your pajamas while I call your grandparents on Earth. They need to know about your mom."

The boys nod then wipes the running noses on the sleeve of their pajamas. Kaja shakes her head with a grin on her face because they did it in perfect unison. Even as down as everyone is in the house, the boys can still do something innocent to lift Kaja's spirits. Hopefully, when their newest toy arrives later in the afternoon, the boys can forget their mom's gone for a short time. Derek says when he hugs Kaja, "I love you, momma."

"I love you too, Derek. I love you too, Eric." Kaja rubs their backs, hoping it will help calm them down.

Eric pushes away from his momma as wipes his face, "I want my mom."

"I know you do. So do I, but she's not with us anymore and we have to deal with that. All of us." Kaja motions for Karrera to join the hug. She hugs Eric then moving them both closer to her dad. Liara joins in too.

Liv and Gaia walk through the front door, both dropping their bags on the floor by the couch then they go looking for either their mom or sister. Liv stops cold and covers her mouth with her right hand when she sees everyone hugging the boys. "Oh, no," says Liv.

"What?" asks Gaia. She then notices what Liv is already witnessing. Everyone is outside except for Cass. "Oh, I suppose we should join them."

"Yes, I suppose we should," replies Liv.

The two sisters join everyone else outside on the patio. Gaia goes as far as the patio door, while Liv stands closer to everyone as she says, "We got here as fast as we could. What happened?"

Everyone turns their attention the newest arrivals. Derek squints his eyes at his aunt Gaia. She looks familiar to him, but he isn't sure where. Eric moves closer to Gaia, wiping his face with his hand. "Who are you?"

Kaja hugs Liv then walks over to Gaia to give her a hug. "Thanks for coming, Gaia. I have a few kids you need to meet."

Eric's mouth drops open, he looks over at Derek who has the same expression on his face. "Momma, that's Gaia!" exclaims Eric.

"She was the evil Ardat-Yakshi in the last _The Justice Code_ vid!" adds Derek.

Gaia smiles at the two boys. She kneels in front of Derek. "I see we have a Justicar Doreen fan."

"Gaia, that is Derek. Derek, that's your aunt Gaia." Kaja takes Eric's hand, "And this is Eric." Kaja waves for Karrera to come closer, which she does. "This is Karrera. You've seen her once before, but were never introduced."

Derek looks at Gaia, then to Kaja who nods at him, then to his grandmother and aunt Liv, both nodding at him. "You're my aunt?! WOW!"

The riff between the siblings seems to have disappeared. Gaia being here has brightened the boys spirits in an instant. They seem to have forgotten about losing their mother for the moment. Even if their upbeat mood lasts only a few minutes, it's something Kaja is grateful for. Kaja pats each boy on the shoulder, "Please, go change out of your pajamas while your grandma cooks breakfast." The boys do as they're told and head to the bedroom to change clothes. Kaja looks at her sisters, "If you follow me, I need to contact Cass' parents. I can tell all of you at the same time what happened."

Everyone enters the house. Karrera stays with her grandmother and helps makes breakfast for the family. Kaja heads to the study with her sisters following behind. A grin appears on Kaja's face when she hears the boys chatting about their famous aunt and not crying. Liv hugs Kaja before sitting on the small sofa in the study. Gaia sits next to Liv. Kaja closes and locks the door, she doesn't want the boys walking in during her conversation with Cass' parents.

Kaja sits at the desk, punches in the information and waits for an answer. It's still morning on Earth and Kaja hopes someone is home. Mrs. Mitchell answers, "Oh, hello, Kaja. Good morning."

"Morning, Mrs. Mitchell. I have some news. Is Mr. Mitchell home?" asks Kaja. She keeps inhaling deeply to calm her nerves.

"RAY!" yells Mrs. Mitchell, but her face isn't in the camera's view. She looks at the camera again then says, "He's coming. Something happen?" Mrs. Mitchell looks away when her husband enters the room. "Here he is."

Kaja nods and answers when she sees her father-in-law. "I have some news about Cass." Kaja closes her eyes to fight back the tears, but they fall anyway. "Yesterday afternoon, the escaped convict, Jimmy Nichols, kidnapped Cass before she was able to pick Karrera up from school. I got to her too late. I'm sorry, but Cass died in my arms last night from a stab wound in her back."

Liv covers her face and starts bawling when she hears what happened. Gaia doesn't know what to feel. Cass was always good to her sister and she appreciated that, but over time she grew to dislike the woman. She's not even sure why she disliked Cass now that she is thinking about it. The middle sibling holds her younger sister close, trying to comfort her. Kaja glances at her sisters. Liv's taking the news hard and she can't read Gaia. Which is probably a good thing.

Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell stare at Kaja's face on their viewer in shock. Their daughter kidnapped and murdered. Ray finally breaks the silence when he asks. "What happened to Jimmy Nichols, Kaja?"

"I killed him, Mr. Mitchell." There is not one ounce of remorse in Kaja's reply. She doesn't feel any. She still wants those who helped him dead. Once she gets everything in order, she's going to discuss it with her mother. "The medical examiner has her body for an autopsy. I'm hoping they release her later today, so I can start making plans for Cass' funeral."

"Good. One good thing at least," says Mr. Mitchell.

Mrs. Mitchell says, "Ray!"

"Well, it's true, honey," retorts Mr. Mitchell. He turns his attention to his daughter-in-law. "Kaja, thank you for telling us. If you need anything let us know. As soon as you have made the arrangements, let us know the details."

"I will, I promise. Again, I'm sorry. I wasn't fast enough," replies Kaja. She wipes her cheeks with her fingers.

Mrs. Mitchell says before terminating the call, "It's not your fault, Kaja. We're sure you did everything you could to save her. Thank you."

After the call ends, Kaja pulls Liv into an embrace. Gaia hugs them both. She unsure why Liv is taking it so hard, maybe because she's closer to Cass than she is, or there is something else she doesn't know. Liv looks at Kaja, "I'm sorry, sis. I feel partly responsible."

"Don't! Goddess, Liv, don't. If anyone is at fault, it's me. I didn't get there fast enough," says Kaja. She unlocks and opens the door when she hears someone knocking.

Karrera says, "Dad, breakfast is ready. Eric and Derek are already eating. Is there anything I should be doing?"

Kaja hugs Karrera, "Thanks, Karrera. There isn't anything I can think of besides doing what you've been doing." She kisses her daughter's cheek, "You've been great through this. Thank you. Did you go home and pick up a few things last night?"

"Yea, dad, I did. I hope that was okay. I had to talk grandma into letting me go," answers Karrera. Liv and Gaia head to the kitchen for some breakfast leaving Kaja alone with her daughter.

"Well, you must have been quite persuasive if your grandmother let you leave. I suppose all those debate meets you had this last term has taught you a thing or two. Are you okay, Karrera?"

"I don't know what to feel, dad. I already miss her and yet I don't feel like crying. What does that say?" asks Karrera. The youth leans against her father.

Holding Karrera close, Kaja answers, "You can only feel what you feel, Karrera. There's no right or wrong in that. Oh, crap. I need to contact the museum. Go and eat, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay," says the young asari. She hugs her dad again then heads to the kitchen to join everyone else.

Kaja contacts the museum to inform them about Cass' fate. Before heading to the kitchen, Kaja thinks about anyone else she needs to contact. She types a few names on a data pad, so she can contact Cass' friends about her death. The most important people know and everyone else can wait for the news later in the day. She heads to the kitchen when there is a knock on the door. Kaja waves her mother off when Liara comes into the living room.

Kaja opens the door to see Deputy Chief Perez with an officer from the Alliance with her. "Sergeant T'Soni?" asks the Alliance officer.

"Yes. What's going on, Chief? Kaja looks at Perez, who doesn't give anything away with her posture or demeanor.

Perez says, "Step outside and shut the door, Sergeant." Kaja does as ordered. "The Alliance wants to place you under arrest for the death of Nichols. Come in quietly while I work on getting you released.."

"My bondmate was murdered last night. I didn't do anything worth being arrested over unless there is some Alliance law I don't know about," protests Kaja.

The Alliance officer says, "I'm sorry, Sergeant T'Soni, but I'll have to ask for you come with me."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Kaja asks, "Can I at least tell my family I have to leave? If I just vanish, my sons will be more upset than they already are with their mother dying."

Chief Perez says, "Let her Lieutenant, she's broken no laws that I am aware of and this is a load of varren shit and you know it. It's bad enough you picked up Det. Livingston before coming over here."

The Alliance Lieutenant shakes his head and waves his hand in a dismissive manner, "Fine, go ahead. Just don't take too long."

"Thank you," says Kaja as she enters the house to tell her family she has to leave to answer more questions for the Alliance about what happened last night. She neglects to mention she's being arrested. Her sons don't need to know that. At least not yet.

Chief Perez keeps an eye on Kaja for the Alliance officer. She whispers into her top detective's ear before they leave for Alliance HQ. "Kaja, I'm coming with you. This is bullshit and I'm not going to let the Alliance railroad two of my best detectives over a territorial pissing match. I knew what you and Detective Livingston were doing and I was fine with it. I should have you and Ben released by this afternoon if not sooner. So, don't worry about anything and be honest with them like you always are, Sergeant."

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you. I can't thank you enough, Chief," responds Kaja. She goes to give her sons a hug and tells them she will come back. She promises. She isn't sure when, but she will return.

Eric refuses to let Kaja go. He is crying, "Don't go, momma. Don't go."

Liara places her arm on Eric's shoulder. "Eric, she has to go. Please, let go."

"No, momma don't go," pleads the younger twin.

Perez has seen enough. She snaps a few pictures with her omni-tool then gets on her comm to call for two uniforms to stand guard outside Liara's house. Kaja isn't going anywhere and if the Alliance doesn't like it, that's too damn bad. She goes outside to inform the Lieutenant, her detective isn't leaving her family today, but she's willing to placate them by having Kaja under house arrest. Only on her terms.

Kaja hold Eric close, rubbing his back for comfort. "I have to go, Eric. The Alliance needs to talk to me. I will return, Eric, I promise." She keeps her hold on Eric, then stands and carries him to the sofa. While setting him down, Kaja notices a growing crowd in the front yard. There are four uniform Illyria PD, five Alliance personal, Deputy Chief Perez, plus two more Alliance officers. In the street is a local news team filming what ever is going on between Perez and the Alliance.

Kaja takes Eric's hand then leads him to the kitchen. "We have a situation outside. I need to go before it gets out of control."

Liara moves quickly to the living room window facing the front yard and sees the situation Kaja is referring to and it doesn't look good. "Goddess, what the hell is going on?" Liara heads outside, but before she gets to the door it opens and Chief Perez enters.

"I am very sorry about this, Dr. T'Soni. The Alliance is overstepping their authority on this. I've come to a compromise with them," says Perez. Kaja joins Perez and her mother near the front door. Perez continues in a softer tone, "Sergeant T'Soni. I hate to do this but I need your badge and your sidearm. You are confined to your own home until I can straighten this mess out. There will be two officers posted outside your house on an eight-hour rotation. One is from the Alliance, the other is ours. I'm sorry, it's the only way I could keep you with your family."

Kaja sighs, "I need to go home to give you my badge and gun, Chief." She tells Eric and Derek they are going home. Both boys grabs her hand as they leave the house with four armed escorts. Perez gets between the news camera and Kaja's sons as they walk home. When they get home, Eric runs to his bedroom. Kaja with Perez and the Alliance Lieutenant go into Kaja's bedroom for her to get the items Perez requested she hand over.

Derek lingers in the hallway near the master bedroom. He watches Kaja hand over her police badge and her department issued pistol to Perez. He moves closer to the door then asks, "Why are you taking my momma's badge? Is she no longer a police officer?"

Kaja has a hard time looking at Derek. Perez gives T'Soni a sympathetic look then glares at the Lieutenant. "Your momma is on leave." The human moves closer to Derek, she says quietly, "Yes, she's still a police officer. She'll get these back soon. I can promise you that." She pats him on the shoulder then leaves with the Alliance officer right behind her. Two guards stand on the front porch. One is IPD, the other is Alliance. They're working in eight-hour shifts until Sergeant T'Soni is released from her house arrest.

Derek asks, "Are you in trouble, momma?"

"Yea, I suppose I am with the Alliance. My boss doesn't think so," replies Kaja as she hugs Derek and kisses his cheek. "Since I can't leave the house, what do you and Eric want to do?"

"I want mom to come home," answers the young human.

Hearing her sons say they want their mom home is heartbreaking to Kaja. She wants her bondmate to come home too, but Cass isn't coming home ever again. Getting Eric and Derek to understand that is the next challenge in their lives. She hugs her son and places a loving kiss on his forehead. "She's not coming home, Derek. I miss her too."

The young lad starts crying again, which causes his momma to take him into her arms. Derek wraps her arms around Kaja's neck as she picks him up and carries him to the living room. As Derek lets go of Kaja as she puts him on the couch, three asari enter the house. Gaia has the leftover breakfast with her, "Mom said she would be over soon. She has work to do." Gaia rolls her eyes when she says her mother is working. She takes the food to the kitchen. Kaja follows to grab a pancake, she's hasn't eaten anything yet and is hungry.

Liv and Karrera are carrying their bags. Karrera takes the bags she is carrying to the boy's room. Almost everything in the bags is from the boy's room. Eric is on the top bunk, sitting against the wall with his knees against his chest, crying. He watches Karrera though teary eyes. She sets the bags on the bottom bunk then climbs the ladder to join her brother. They don't speak to each other. However, Karrera wraps her arms around Eric and holds him while he cries. Every so often, he mumbles through the sniffling and tears, "I want my mom."

Liv tosses her bag on the floor next to the couch then sits next to Derek. She's regained her composure since Kaja left with the boys. Derek leans against his aunt. Liv puts her arm around her nephew. Like Karrera and Eric, no words are spoken between them. Derek asks softly, "Why did my mom have to leave us?"

It's a question Liv doesn't have an answer for and she doubts Kaja has the answer either. Kaja barely hears Derek's question, but attempts to answer it the best she can. The eldest T'Soni sibling sits next to her son. She shoves the last bite of her pancake into her mouth while she rubs on his back. "Derek, I always believe things happen for a reason. The galaxy is a mysterious place and sometimes things happen for reasons we don't always understand. We have to deal with them and keep moving forward." Tears for in Kaja's eyes, but she keeps going with her thought. "Your mom leaving us is a reason we will never understand. I do believe that where ever she is, she is looking out for us and she will always be a part of us." She places her hand over Derek's heart and kisses his temple.

Liv and Gaia exchange looks and shrugs. Both wonder when their older sister got so wise. Her little speech to Derek is something their father would have said in this situation. Liv is amazed how well Kaja is keeping it together. Kaja is so calm about everything when she knows keep down how much her eldest sister is grieving, but isn't letting her sons know it. The situation with the Alliance is odd at best and Liv doesn't understand what is going on, but she knows she doesn't like it.

Gaia sits quietly in a chair closest to Liv. She feels like a stranger in her sister's home and she knows it's her own fault. If there is ever a time to mend the rift between her and Kaja, this is the time. Gaia leans her head from the left to the right then back to the left again, watching Kaja console Derek. She sees how much she has missed by her actions and now she can't even remember why she started to dislike Cass in the first place. The reason no longer matters with Cass being murdered. The actress has a new found admiration for her sister. Kaja was always calm in stressful situations, and this is different than anything she has seen before. For the first time in decades, Gaia admires Kaja's fortitude.

Kaja whispers to Derek she is going to check on Eric. She turns on the monitor, so the boys can watch any vid they want. Derek finds the Aralakh cartoon then starts watching it. His momma notices what he puts it on. Now she can tell Eric what Derek is watching. She walks into the boy's bedroom to see Karrera holding a weeping Eric in her arms on the top bunk. Karrera's been crying, Kaja can see her bloodshot eyes plus they look puffy. "Are you two okay?"

Eric wipes his face, looks at Kaja, then answers bluntly, "No."

"Yea, I'm fine, dad," replies the young asari.

Kaja puts her chin on the top bunk, looking at Eric. She grins at him, trying to calm him down without saying anything. It doesn't work. "Eric, Derek has the Aralakh cartoon you like on. Your aunts are here. I will do you good to be with everyone instead if staying in here with just your sister."

"Are you leaving, momma?" asks Eric as he moves from Karrera's embrace.

Shaking her head, Kaja replies, "Nope, I'm grounded to the house."

"Huh?" Kaja's choice of words confuses him. "Who grounded you?" asks the youth.

"The Alliance did. Instead of leaving, my boss got them to let me stay home as long as I stay home. So, will you join everyone else, Eric?" Kaja offers her hand to her son.

Eric doesn't takes Kaja's hand, but he does give his momma a hug when he gets down from the top bunk. Karrera follows suit and gets down from the top bunk, hugs her father, then they go to join the others. The younger twin walks over to Gaia, "Can I sit with you?"

Gaia pats her lap, "Sure, Eric, right?"

Nodding to Gaia, Eric climbs into the chair so he can sit in his aunt's lap. "Yup, I'm Eric and he's Derek." He points to his twin, who is sitting next to his aunt Liv then leans against Gaia. She looks at Kaja who is smiling the best she can at them. When she sees Kaja's reaction to Eric in her lap, Gaia holds her nephew close for the first time.

Karrera sits in another chair while Kaja flops on the couch next to Derek. Kaja is getting tired and sleepy. Any adrenaline she''s had since telling everyone what happened has worn off. Everyone is watching the cartoons the boys like so much. The sobbing has stopped, but Kaja knows she'll start crying as soon as she is alone. She is able to keep it together when she is near her family, but she knows the moment she heads to her bedroom, she's going to breakdown. Kaja doesn't want to do that in front of her sons or Karrera.

Kaja dozes off on the couch and no one wakes her. The twins are content, watching their cartoons with Karrera, Liv, and Gaia. Derek uses Kaja's thigh as a pillow and Eric is leaning against Gaia's shoulder when Liara finally arrives a few hours later. She has news for Kaja, but sees her daughter is finally sleeping, so she'll wait until she wakes up before giving it to her. The sight of Eric and Gaia brings a smile to Liara's face. As much as her daughters fight with each other but when times are at their toughest, they always come together and support each other the best they can.

Liara has been working with Illyria Police Department in applying pressure on the Alliance to back off their stance Sergeant T'Soni and Detective Livingston committed a felony while hunting for Dr. Mitchell. Even though the evidence says otherwise, the Alliance is attempting to throw the two detectives under the bus because the IPD failed to contact the Alliance about Jimmy Nichols' whereabouts. It's posturing by the Alliance and neither Liara nor the police department appreciate it very much. Between Liara's backdoor pressure and Deputy Chief Perez's front door pressure, things between the two departments are cooling off, but it's still unclear how long it will take before things simmer down enough for them to release Ben from custody and for the guards to leave Kaja's house.

**A/N:** Next week is the last chapter for this story. Then I am taking a two week hiatus to continue to work on the story, I have not completed. The next story is nine years after the conclusion of this story and is about how the family has moved forward. The focus is Kaja and the twins.

A guest commented they thought Kaja was the one they thought was going to die in this story. If the guest only knew that was my original premise for this story. As I started writing it and a little persuasion from my proofreader, tkvis from BSN. I decided I didn't want to kill off my favorite original character.

Then I started thinking what was a fate worse than death? Where do my stories go if I kill Kaja? The more I thought, the more I decided I wasn't going to kill her but someone else was going to die instead. Then I had to choose between Karrera and Cass and at one point I thought about killing both.

I don't think this story has a happy ending, it is a tragedy after all. They don't have happy endings, but one could see the ending as a little bittersweet and you understand why I think that next week.


	11. Chapter XI

Chapter XI

Kaja wakes up wondering what day it is and what time it is. She looks around the living room and notices she is the only one in the room. The asari rubs her eyes, trying to wake up. She looks outside to see the two guards standing on her front porch then remembers today is Friday and she's under house arrest. Rubbing her forehead, Kaja searches the bedrooms for her kids. Karrera is in her room, reading a hardbound book.

Kaja knocks on the bedroom door before she enters Karrera's bedroom. "What are you reading?"

Karrera puts her finger on the page she is reading then closes the book. "A book Cass thought I would like that I'm just now starting. It's called "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair. It's a classic human book. Set in the early 20th century."

"Cass was right, I think you will enjoy it. It's a good book, I've read it before. Are you okay, Karrera?" asks Kaja.

"Yea, dad, I'm fine. Everyone else is outside. Grandma asked everyone to let you sleep, so they went outside. That fort thingy you got for them is being assembled now. That has their attention. Are you okay, dad?" Kara hugs her father.

Kaja hugs Karrera back. "No, I'm not, Karrera, but I'll manage. Thanks for asking. I'm going to find the others," The elder asari kisses her daughter's crest before heading to the backyard. She bumps a picture hanging on the wall, so she stops to straighten it. Kaja almost loses her composure when she sees it's a picture of Cass from one of their trips to her family's private island on Earth. She mumbles under her breath, "I miss you, Cass," then walks away.

Eric and Derek round the corner and almost run into Kaja. Derek is practically bouncing off the walls, bubbling with excitement. Eric is happy, but is not nearly as excited as his brother. Derek says, "Momma, momma, you have to see our castle. It's so big." Each boy takes one of Kaja's hands and leads her to the backyard.

The delivery people are finished assembling the castle and they assure Liara, it's safe to use. With everything going on with Kaja, the last thing they need is for the boys to have an accident playing on their new toy. It takes up about a quarter of the backyard. There is a slide on one side and a swing on the other. It's shaped like a ancient human castle with the company logo as the flag on the castle's highest peak. There are even a few accessories they didn't buy for the fort the boys might want to add-on later, like a big water gun.

There is an IPD guarding the backdoor, which Kaja finds strange. She knows Perez said she was confined to the house, but she didn't think that meant she couldn't go outside and play with her sons in the backyard. The police officer stops Kaja when she steps onto the patio. "I'm sorry, Sarge, but the Alliance wants you to remain inside."

Kaja looks at her sons, then to Liara and her sisters. Derek looks disappointed and Eric looks surprised when their momma doesn't join them. Kaja replies after she tells the boys to go and play with it, "Okay, I'll say right here and watch them from here then." She grabs a chair from the kitchen table then sits with the patio door open and watches her sons play on their new toy.

Gaia walks over to her older sister, grabs a chair and sits next to her. "Kaja, I'm not sure what I'm suppose to say to you. I am sorry about Cass. I don't even remember anymore what started the whole thing. Those boys are so sweet and I've missed so much."

Kaja pulls Gaia in for an embrace. "I know what started it, but it doesn't matter anymore, Gaia. Everything changed when she died in my arms last night. They knew I had another sister, but we never talked about you. It was a sore topic for Cass. You coming has already made things easier. Even for that brief moment, when they realized you were their aunt it caused them to forget about their mom dying. Thank you for that."

"What's going on between you and the Alliance? Why are you under house arrest?" asks Gaia.

"I don't know for certain. My boss is pissed at the Alliance. The Alliance is pissed at the department. Ben and I are caught in the middle," answers Kaja.

"They've arrested your partner too? What the hell?!" Gaia shakes her head. "Maybe it's best to try to not understand politics." Politics is a topic Gaia prefers to not talk about. All it ever does it cause arguments between friends when their views clash.

Kaja stands when she watches Eric playing recklessly, but sits back down when she sees Liara talking to him. She covers her mouth, thinking about the things she feels she needs to focus or keep an eye on. Eric's behavior is number one on her list. Derek's too. She knows what it's like to lose a parent, but not at their age. She knows she didn't handle her own father's death very well and needs to make sure her sons do a better job than she did. They can't throw themselves into work and turn their feelings off like she did. She's seen enough over the years working the streets to know children don't always react well to losing a parent.

Kaja gets herself and Gaia a glass of tea. "I don't know. Perez thinks this will blow over today, I get the sense it won't blow over for a few days. The Alliance doesn't always do things quickly if they feel they are in the right."

"Which they are not in this case, Kaja." says Liara when she joins her daughters. Liv is still playing with the boys. She needs to duck while inside of it, but it's roomy enough for eight to ten kids. "Gaia will you excuse us. I need to talk to your sister in private."

Gaia answers, "Sure, mom." The actress goes outside, sets her tea on the patio table, then joins her younger sister and nephews.

Liara pats on Gaia's arm then closes the patio door before she takes Gaia's place in the chair. "I did some digging and passed on what I found to Chief Perez. What did you do to Nichols, Kaja?"

"He was behind Cass. Holding a pistol to her head. He told me to drop my guns on the floor or he was going to shoot her, so I did." Kaja turns and places her hand on her mother's shoulder, "Cass motioned for me to take him, so I slammed him against the wall then tossed him out a window."

"With your biotics?" asks Liara.

Shaking her head at the question, Kaja answers, "Of course with my biotics. Once Jimmy was away from Cass, I took her into my arms. She told me to take care of them and she loved me. That was all she said before she died, mom." Kaja wills herself to keep it together. She'd love nothing more than to breakdown and have Liara hold her and tell her things are okay. She can't do that, not while her sons are around. They need her to do that for them, to stay strong. "Why couldn't he just come after me and leave Cass alone? She didn't deserve this. I'm trained to handle scum like him. Cass wasn't."

Liara rubs on Kaja's upper back when Kaja leans forward. "I know, Kaja. He went after her because she was an easy target. You don't need me to tell you that."

Kaja looks behind them to see if Karrera is close by. She isn't, so Kaja says bluntly, "Help me find those who helped him escape."

"Not here," answers Liara quickly. She gives Kaja a look which tells her daughter to change the subject.

"What did you find and pass on to Chief Perez?" asks Kaja changing the topic.

Chuckling, Liara grins at Kaja. "Oh, a damaging message that goes against orders given the day of the escape. Major Aaron Nutter is about to have a bad weekend. Don't expect your grounding, I think is how Eric put it, to be over until Monday at the earliest. I'll let Perez give you more details when you see her next."

"Thanks mom." Kaja finishes her tea, then goes to get another glass. She leans with both hands on the counter thinking about where she goes from here. Even though her mother has assured her things will work out when it comes to the Alliance. Her job isn't in jeopardy, but she's thinking about resigning anyway. Do something less dangerous. Something which allows her the most time with her family. It might disappoint Derek though. He's so proud she's a cop. Every picture he draws of her, she is wearing her badge.

Kaja watches Derek and Gaia doing a scene from what Kaja thinks is from the _Justice Code_ vid where Gaia played the villain. Derek mimics a move he sees Justicar Doreen do in every vid, his move causes Gaia to fall on the ground, pretending the move wounded her. "I'm glad Gaia's here. She's making things easier for them. Just look at them, mom." Kaja points out the window. "Their mother is sitting in the morgue on a slab and they are forgetting about that because she's playing with them."

Liara grins while watching what is going on outside. She feels bad Kaja is stuck in the house, but at least she's not in a holding cell like Kaja's partner, Ben Livingston. He didn't do anything worth being locked up, but the Alliance isn't budging on their position. At least not yet. Liara is sure things will smooth out over the weekend. If not, she'll apply more pressure than she has already. "Kaja, you don't need to be crude about it. Watch what you say, please."

"Why? They're outside and can't hear me. Besides, she is at the morgue, mom. I took her there last night, remember?" Kaja storms off, heading to the basement. Kaja wants to go for a walk. To think, to clear her head or a punishing run to relieve the tension she feels building. She can't go for a walk or even go outside to play with her children. Kaja doesn't even bother to put on her training gloves before she starts punching on the punching bag. Without realizing it, Kaja flares her biotics so when her fist connects with the bag, the bag goes flying across the basement, hitting the far wall with a thud. Kaja dashes after the bag, straddles it like it was Jimmy and punches it with both fists as hard as she can. She continues to punch the bag until both her knuckles bleed and the bag breaks open and the stuffing starts falling to the floor.

Liara follows Kaja to the basement, but remains silent as she watches her daughter take out her anger and frustrations on the punching bag. Liara doesn't move until Kaja finally stops punching on the broken bag and breaks down crying. She wraps her arms around Kaja holding her close. Kaja wraps her arms around her mom, crying against her shoulder. "I'm here, little one." Liara hasn't called Kaja, 'little one' since Karrera moved in.

Kaja pushes away from her mom's embrace. "I got blood on your dress, mom. Sorry."

"It will wash out," replies Liara.

"I've lost my anchor. The only thing keeping me somewhat grounded are my kids. I feel lost again, just like when dad died. I can't afford to get drunk or work too much this time. Derek and Eric need me. Karrera too. I can't afford to not be there for them. What do I do now?" asks Kaja before she covers her eyes with her hands and cries.

"You take it day by day. Focus on what you know you need to do. Which is taking care of your kids and yourself. You need them as much as they need you. I'm always here for you. Your sisters too," answers Liara while she holds Kaja in her arms. "Kaja, I've already taken care of the forger who helped Nichols with his alias."

"Thanks, mom. Any news on who helped him escape the prison besides the salarian and Liv's employee?" asks the grieving asari.

Liara rubs on Kaja's arms. "If the prison authorities have more than what I have seen, they've not said put it on any report. Everyone who helped Nichols is dead, Kaja. Please, don't focus on that. Focus on your children and help them get through this."

Kaja nods in agreement with her mother's words. She notices how battered her knuckles are when she wipes the tears from her face and the saline in the tears sting the open wounds. "I suppose I should clean up. I love you, mom." She gets off the punching bag and heads to her bedroom to clean the wounds on her hands and to change clothes. Kaja's posture as she walks away shows defeat with her shoulders slumped and head down.

"I love you too, Kaja." Liara follows close behind. She's noticed one thing. If Kaja is close to her kids, she seems in control. If she's not, she's borders on being out of control. Her biotic punch and beating on the punching bag is proof enough for Liara to understand how much Cass' death is affecting Kaja. The situation with the Alliance isn't helping. Liara needs to maintain the proper balance. She doesn't want to hover, but she doesn't want Kaja being alone either. She hopes Kaja takes her advice and takes it day by day. It the only way her daughter will get through this.

After cleaning up her hands and changing her clothes, Kaja is in the basement, cleaning up the mess she made with the punching bag. Since using her biotics to punch the bag, causing to fly across the basement and literally beating the stuffing out if it, Kaja's anger and frustrations washed away with each punch. She's paying for it because both hands hurt across her knuckles. However she's using that pain as a constant reminder to keep her emotions in check. She can't afford an outburst like that in front of her children. It's bad enough, her mother only watched and didn't intervene until she had stopped punching on the bag. Kaja sweeps the mess into the dustpan and dumps it into a trash can.

Gaia joins Kaja in the basement. The actress now knows what her sister did to her hands. She beat on the punching bag until they bled. "Kaja, since we're alone. I'd like to talk if you're up for it."

Kaja looks at her sister. The elder sister isn't sure what Gaia wants, but doesn't want to fight with her about anything. She started to say something before their mother interrupted them and she came downstairs and vented her anger on the punching bag. "Sure, Gaia." Kaja sits on what is leaft of the punching bag, which is still lying on the floor against the wall.

"I'm not sitting on that, Kaja. There's blood on it," protests Gaia. She points to the blue blood stains on the bag.

"No shit, Gaia," says Kaja with too much sarcasm in her voice. She shows her knuckles to her sister.

Shaking her head, Gaia walks away and sits on the stationary bike. She leans against the handlebars. "I should have said this a while ago, Kaja, but I'm sorry for what I did at the vacation house on Earth. I knew you and Cass were there. I didn't care and went there anyway and when you weren't there. Well, I'm sorry."

"Yea, well. It doesn't matter anymore, Gaia. Everything is different now. I don't like it, but there isn't a damn thing I can do to change it." She gets off the bag and walks closer to Gaia. "If I could change places with Cass, I would do it in heartbeat and not regret anything except for not talking to you these past few years. I love you, Gaia, but don't ever expect me to kiss your blue ass. Because I'll never kiss your ass. And you should know that."

Gaia nods, "I do know that." She isn't sure what all she should say to Kaja. How much does she want to share with her sister? "Like I said, I should have done this sooner and I wish I had. I can't change what happened. I'll be honest, I don't remember why I started to dislike Cass all those years ago. I am sorry she's gone, Kaja. I can see how much you loved and miss her." Gaia gets off the bike seat and hugs Kaja. "I love you, sis."

Sis. Now, there is a word, Kaja hasn't heard from Gaia in over a decade. It feels good for her to hear it too. She holds Gaia close. "I miss her a great deal. I don't even know what to do now. Okay, I do know what I need to do, but I'm not sure I can pull it off. Not without help." Kaja's asking for Gaia's help without actually asking her directly.

"What do you need from me, Kaja?" asks Gaia when she steps away from Kaja. She gives her sister a warm sincere smile.

Kaja rubs on Gaia's upper left arm, "Be my sister, Gaia. Not that raving snobbish bitch you are at times. Be aunt Gaia. That's all I want and need from you. Can you do that for me or is that too much to ask of you?" Kaja closes her eyes to help fight the tears she feels coming.

Kaja sounds bitter, but Gaia doesn't blame her. She has been a bitch to everyone around her and she knows it. She's been trying to not snap on her assistants or anyone else working for her. Since the incident at the family's vacation home on Earth, Gaia has gone through five assistants, most quit because they can't stand working for her for very long. She also fired one bodyguard which caused the others to quit, sod she never bothered to replace them. They didn't bother to protect her against Kaja, so she figures she's better off saving her credits. The only people Gaia has working for her now is a personal assistant to help her keep track of her busy schedule and a driver. Both normally go everywhere with Gaia, but Liara has asked her several times over the years to leave the entourage behind when coming to visit. She wants to see her daughter, not the famous actress' entourage.

Gaia looks at the grief written all over Kaja's face. Furrowing her brow, Gaia starts remembering a few things her father said often when they were growing up about doing ones duty. She never fully bought into that, Kaja did hook, line, and sinker. Now, seeing how Kaja's life got turned upside down with Cass dying unexpectedly, she is feeling a strong urge to do the right thing for her family. "I can do that, sis. Your sons seem very sweet and well-behaved. I wish I met them before today. Derek really does love Justicar Doreen."

A grin appears on Kaja's face, "That he does. Do me one favor, Gaia. Goddess. Please, don't ever talk negatively about Cass in front of them. Please. Rant at me if you must, but leave them out of it, Gaia. They don't even know what was going one between us. They don't need to know."

"Don't worry, I won't. I'm not the monster everyone thinks I am, Kaja. I've lost things too, you know," responds Gaia.

Kaja wants to respond to the monster comment, then decides she is better off not saying anything. "Thank you. I'm sorry, I'm being short with you. I'm only looking out for them. I love you, Gaia, but I don't know how much I can trust you. We haven't exactly been on speaking terms lately. I will say this, you being here has made things easier for Derek and Eric and I appreciate that more than I can ever say."

Liara walks downstairs to look for Kaja after she realized her eldest wasn't upstairs. She sees Kaja and Gaia talking to each other, so Liara stands quietly watching to make sure they aren't fighting. The last thing Kaja needs is for Gaia to go on one of her an anti-Cass tirades. The few hours Gaia has been home, she hasn't said anything negative about anything, so maybe Gaia is turning a corner with her attitude towards others. Liara takes a wait and see approach to it.

Gaia says, "You're welcome, sis. I've missed out on too much. I'm sorry it took this to bring us back together. I should have said I was sorry before now. Because it feels like I'm saying it too late. I want to be here for you and your kids. I hate to ask this. When is Cass' funeral?"

"I don't know yet. I don't want to make plans for anything until the medical examiner releases her body. Which won't be until Monday or Tuesday if not later. I doubt it's next week though. Do you need to get back to work?" Kaja notices Liara on the stairs. She doesn't make eye contact, but she wishes her mother would stop watching every move she makes. It's bad enough she's trapped inside her own home, she doesn't need mom hovering over her too. Yet, at the same time, it's comforting to know her mother cares enough to keep watch.

"Yes, I do. I won't leave until Sunday night. I was suppose to work last night, tonight and two other days with this vid. That's it. I have a small part in a low budget vid. I asked the director to replace me, but even though my part is small, I'm the only big name in it. So, they want me back. I promise to return for the funeral. I wouldn't miss that. My next part doesn't start for a few weeks. When I come back, I'll stay until I have to leave for work again. Unless you don't want me to stay for an extended period of time?" Gaia hopes Kaja tells her to stay. She wants to spend time with her nephews and niece.

Kaja grins, "Please, stick around and let my kids get to know you, Gaia. I would like that very much."

Liara smiles at her daughters then walks back upstairs. She's seen enough to know the chances of them fighting are slim to none. Nothing like a death in the family to bring the family together. It isn't how she wanted her daughters to interact with each other as adults. Children grow up, leave home, and don't always return home. Liara feels like she is the luckiest person in the galaxy. Things are not always perfect, but if they were, things would actually get boring.

"So would I," says Gaia. She smooches her older sister's cheek. "I have to say this, Kaja, you're turning into dad. I think that it is a good thing. You're little speech to Derek about why did Cass had to leave them is something like dad would have said in that situation."

Kaja blushes. "Nah, I'm just trying to pass on her wisdom to my kids. Let's go and join the others. I'm done for now. I need to buy a new punching bag."

The two sisters hug before going upstairs. Kaja leaves the broom and dustpan and the trashcan in the basement. She'll finish cleaning everything up at a later time. This is the best Kaja has felt since leaving the police academy early yesterday. She still doesn't completely trust Gaia to not say anything negative about Cass, but time will tell. Kaja wants to trust her sister again. Like all other wounds, they take time to mend.

Three Days Later

Everyone is sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch, everyone except for Gaia, who has returned to Earth so she can finish shooting the vid she is in. She did promise the twins and Kaja, she would return as soon as she is able. Kaja never thought her sister cared enough to come home during a time like this, but she's glad she was wrong. Gaia does care, she is just bad at showing it. Too bad it took a death in the family to bring the T'Soni sisters together again.

"I'll get it," says Kaja when there is a knock on the front door. The armed guards are still outside, but Kaja has gotten to the point where she no longer cares. If she answers the door, it puts pressure on the Alliance guard to explain why the person can't enter the house. It's bad enough Kaja can't go outside, but it's worse when the Alliance won't allow visitors to enter the house. Even if the visitor is a friend of the twins.

Kaja's eyes get big like saucers when she sees Chief Perez at the door and the guard detail leaving. "Ah, afternoon, Chief. Please, come in." Kaja holds the door open for Perez as she keeps her eyes on the guards getting into separate skycars and get ready to drive away.

Perez pulls Kaja's badge from her pocket. "Where's that son of yours, Sargent? The one who saw me take this from you." She shows Kaja her badge.

Kaja puts a finger in the air as a sign to Perez to give her a minute to get him. "Let me go get him." A grin appears on the asari's face when she turns to get her sons, so they can witness her getting her police badge back. "Derek, Eric, if you come with me. I have something I want you to see."

The twins exchange curious looks with each other. However, they also see their momma with a grin on her face. Eric whispers something to Derek which causes Derek to shrugs his shoulders and whisper something back. Derek says and points when he sees Deputy Chief Perez, "You took momma's badge away."

Perez kneels down in front of the two boys. She smiles at them before replying, "Yes, I did." She hands Derek Kaja's badge. "I think she needs this back, don't you?"

Derek nods his head then takes the badge and stares at it. This isn't the first time he's held onto it, but this time it means something more to him. It tells him his momma can now go and catch the bad guys again. He hands it to Kaja, "Here momma, now you can catch the bad guys."

"Thank you, Chief." Kaja takes her badge from Derek then hands it to Eric so he can hold it.

Eric runs his hand over the badge before handing it back, "Momma? Can we go outside and play?"

"Yes, but no roughhousing." Kaja hugs and kisses each boy before they run through the house, out the patio door, making a beeline for their newest toy.

Perez smiles as she hands Sgt. T'Soni her sidearm, "Everything between the department and the Alliance has been taken care of. Det. Livingston has been released from custody and is on his way home. You're free to go outside and play with your kids. You're still on personal leave for the next four weeks then I'm transferring you back to your old unit."

Kaja starts to say something about not wanting to work for Capt. Tish. Chief Perez puts her hand up as she continues talking, "Tish put in his retirement papers last week. That usually takes four to six weeks to process. You're replacing him, Sargent. You're the homicide squad's new CO. I won't take no for an answer, T'Soni." Perez gazes around Kaja's house then sees Tracy sitting at the kitchen table. "I don't want to know how you got her past the Alliance."

The asari rubs her neck with an impish grin, "I have no idea how she got in. I went to the bathroom and when I came out, she was sitting in my living room, kissing my sister." Kaja shrugs her shoulders, pretending she doesn't know Tracy used the tactical cloak program from her omni-tool to enter the house Friday night. She doubts Perez is buying it, but again she doubts Perez cares Tracy is in the house. "Again, thank you, Chief. I'll be more than happy to replace Captain Tish," replies Kaja. She shakes Perez's hand then opens the door for her CO.

Before Perez leaves, she turns to say, "Oh, before I forget. The ME promised me they would have Dr. Mitchell's body ready for release by noon tomorrow. You can go ahead and make arraignments for her funeral. I'm sorry, Kaja. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me."

"I won't, Chief; thank you." Kaja watches Perez get into her car before she closes the door.

Tracy and Liv enter the living room holding hands, Tracy says, "I hope me being inside doesn't get you into trouble, Kaja."

"Don't worry about it, Tracy. It was the Alliance that insisted on that stipulation, not my boss." Kaja slaps her hands together. "Now that I'm free to go outside and play with my sons, that is what I'm going to do. Joining me?" She puts her gun in its usual safe location in her bedroom, but puts her badge on her hip before going outside to join Eric and Derek playing on their castle.

Liara smiles at Kaja as her daughter puts her hands in the air in a victory pose when she walks outside. She hurries to finish putting the dishes away before she joins everyone else outside. The past few days have been rough on everyone. Having the armed guard presence gone, has brightened the mood in the house. Kaja being able to play with her sons on their new outside toy will make things easier going forward. Or that is what Liara hopes for anyway.

There is still a funeral to plan. Liara doubt Kaja has forgotten about it. Cass' body is still at the morgue, so there is no hurry to start those plans today. Kaja and her family have many hurdles ahead of them. Some hurdles they might trip over and need help getting through which Liara will gladly assist in any way possible. Today is a day to let Kaja for the first time in days, actually enjoy playing with her children. It didn't take long for Liara to hear two boys giggling and laughing while playing with their momma.

As Liara stands on the porch, with one arm across her chest, her elbow on her forearm with her hand near her chin, she starts thinking about how much she wishes Shepard was here with them. Leia always had a way of making the toughest times easier. The longer she watches Kaja and her grandsons, the more she realizes, Shepard really is with them. The older Kaja gets, the more she sees Leia in Kaja. Once, Kaja stopped trying to follow in her fathers footsteps and learned to follow her examples instead, Kaja has blossomed into her father in every positive way.

With Cass' passing, Liara fears Kaja might regress instead of moving forward. That thought has Liara questioning if she's setting a good enough example by still having Leia's pictures and other items around the house. To Liara, many of those items hold as much historical value as sentimental value. Especially, Leia's armor and weapons. The pictures are sentimental, even the group picture from their eventful shore leave during the war. Liara pushes her thoughts about her late bondmate to the side then walks across the yard to play with the twins.

One Week Later

The cemetery is thinning out, leaving Kaja, Derek, Eric, and Karrera alone next to Cass' grave. Kaja has Karrera take the twins to the car, so she can spend time alone with Cass' body one last time. Liv, Tracy, and Gaia walk toward their car with Liara and Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell following close behind. The cemetery workers are slowly lowering the casket into the ground and Kaja politely asks them to give her a few minutes before lowering her any further. They honor her request and walk far enough away to give Kaja some privacy.

Kaja places the yellow rose she's been holding on the casket. Tears roll down her cheeks. "I miss you so much, Cass. I'll do my best to provide the best home I can for our sons. Your sons. I look at them and I see you. Neither have your eye color, but both have your smile and your mannerisms. They miss you so much. Karrera too. We all love you, Cass. I'll try to move on. For now, my focus is their happiness, not mine. It's going to take a special person to grab my attention. Someone special like you. You've given me more than I ever imagined and I hope I can give the same to our sons. I'm going to give them my best effort and hope it's enough. My best wasn't enough to keep you safe. I'm sorry for that. I'll live with that guilt for a long time. Everyone is waiting for me, so I have to go. I love you, Dr. Cassandra Mitchell." Kaja kisses her fingers then places them on the casket next to the rose. She rejoins her children as they walk to the car.

Kaja glances in the direction of her father's grave, wishing she had the time to stop and spend time there. She has a houseful of family and friends waiting for her. More people showed up for the funeral than she thought would. It shows Kaja how respected Cass was within the community because of her work at the history museum. That makes Kaja miss Cass more. Knowing the community is also going to miss her bondmate, her soul mate, the mother of her sons. Most only attended the ceremony at the funeral home and didn't come to the cemetery or are going to Kaja's house.

People have brought over more food than Kaja knows what to do with. Too much of it is cakes and cookies. It's one thing about humans, Kaja has yet to figure out. Why family and friends bring over so much food when someone dies? Especially desserts type food. Why can't someone bring over a nice pot of gumbo or stew? Kaja chokes on her saliva when she sees a big pot of gumbo sitting on the counter. "Who brought the gumbo?" She grabs a bowl then fills it with the gumbo.

Liara answers, "I believe the gumbo is from Adele. I made a comment to her about it a couple of days ago when she called me asking if she should do or bring anything today. I only said, something hearty to eat would be nice."

"Well, I must thank her. This is good stuff. Try some." Kaja shoves another spoonful of gumbo into her mouth.

Derek and Eric look at their momma, Eric asks. "Can we have some gumbo, momma?"

Kaja wipes her chin when a little gumbo dribbles down her chin. "Go and change out of your suits first. I'll have your bowls ready for you when you return."

Derek hugs Kaja, "Thanks momma." Eric does the same, hugs and thanks Kaja before they both weave through the crowd mingling about in the house.

Liara pats on Kaja's arm before she gets the stack of bowls down from the cabinet and a bunch of spoons from the drawer. Gaia brought a bunch of throw away plates with forks and knives and plenty of cups, but no bowls or spoons. Kaja has the boy's bowls waiting for them when they weave their way back to the kitchen. She chuckles at both because they are goofing around. She thought they would have had a harder time today. They did cry during the ceremony and the ride to the cemetery. But stopped when everyone came over to give their condolences to the family.

Now, they seem content on eating and playing. Kaja wouldn't want it any other way. She mingles with her family and friends after she picks up the bowls when the twins get done eating. Gaia plays with the twins. Fabian comments to Kaja, "She's not a complete bitch. I never knew Gaia had a soft side. I'm sorry about Cass, Kaja. I miss her."

Kaja hugs Fabian. "I miss her too, Fabian. Gaia has surprised me too and I've known her for a few centuries. So, don't attempt to figure her out. Your head will just explode." She grins at the hairdresser.

"Oh, girl, you need me to do your hair," says Fabian to Tracy when she walks by heading outside.

Tracy stops and turns to Fabian. "Well, my girlfriend likes it just fine, Fabian." Tracy teases her hair. "Besides, you cost too much," teases Tracy as she waves her hand at Fabian.

"Cost too much? Oh, girl, that will cost you double," teases Fabian back.

"No friend discount? I'm hurt, Fabian." Tracy hugs her friend then hugs Kaja. "The service was nice. You okay?"

Fabian walks away looking for his partner, Esteban, leaving Tracy and Kaja alone. Kaja shakes her head, "Not really, but I'm managing. Thanks for asking. When are you and Liv leaving?"

Tracy pats Kaja's upper arm, "I'm leaving in the morning. I need to get back to work. I don't know if Liv is coming with me or not. She didn't answer me when I asked her about it this morning."

"Everything okay with you two?" asks Kaja attempting to change the subject.

"We're fine, Kaja. No need to worry about us. She might stay longer and I wish I could, that's all. When you're the boss, you can take more time off than if your like me, just an employee. I had some vacation days, so I took them," says Tracy when she hugs Kaja again. "Now to play with your little beggars before I go home tomorrow. I hope you don't mind."

Kaja chuckles every time Tracy calls the twins 'little beggars'. It's anything but truthful. They've never begged Tracy to buy them anything and almost every time she sees them, she's buying them some type of toy and she makes it seem like they earned it. "Please, be my guest. They love playing with you."

Tracy says before heading out the patio door, "I love those boys, Kaja. I'm always here for them and you if I'm needed."

"Thanks. That means a lot," replies Kaja. The asari widow mingles, trying her best to talk to everyone who stopped over. Her squad sent a huge flower wreath to the cemetery, but none showed up at the service. She's still in her dress blues uniform, but her white gloves are in her jacket pocket. She wore it instead of the customary black dress because she felt Cass would want her in her uniform and not in the black dress.

Chief Perez along with her squad walk through the front door. Kaja watches what she thinks is a little flirting between Perez and her mother when Liara lets them in. Kaja walks over the new arrivals and shakes everyone hands and thanks them for stopping by.

Ben slaps his new CO on the arm, "Sorry we couldn't get here sooner, Sarge. Duty calls. I hope to have it closed before you come back. So, I'll spare you the details. "

"I'm glad everyone is here. That wreath was nice. The twins liked it. Especially Derek. It had the police logo on it. He can't get enough since Perez gave him my badge to give back to me," says Kaja as she smacks Ben back.

Everyone mingles together, including the newest arrivals. The crowd slowly thins out after a few hours. Kaja is able to get a some of her friends to take some of the food home with them. She has more than she needs or even wants. She flops in a chair after everyone leaves. Derek with Eric right next to him asks, "Momma, what's for dinner?"

"I don't know. What do you want for dinner?" asks Kaja. She looks at them both.

They say in unison, "Pizza!"

Kaja leans closer to her sons. She looks at Eric then Derek. "Well, that's a problem."

Eric asks, "How so?"

"I don't know how to make pizza," teases Kaja.

"You know how to call for pizza, momma," comments Derek.

Kaja gives them a shocked look with her hand on her chest, "I do? You sure about that?"

The twins nod in unison with Derek says, "I'm sure, momma."

Kaja hugs them both. "What do you want on your half this time, Eric? Derek the usual? Mushroom, ham, and sausage?"

"How many topping do I get?" asks Eric.

Derek answers for Kaja, "Three. It's how many I get all the time, weirdo."

"Psst," responds Eric. The youth puts a serious thinking look on his face. Which topping does he want this time. He rarely gets the same topping two pizzas in a row and it's been a few weeks, so he doesn't remember which toppings he got last time. "I want ham, extra cheese, and pineapple."

"Pineapple doesn't go on pizza. Yuk." Derek scrunches his nose at the thought of a pineapple on pizza.

"It's his half, Derek. He can have what he wants on it. Same as you," responds Kaja. She walks to see what her daughter, mom, sisters, and in-laws want on their pizza. Liv and Tracy volunteer to pick the pizzas up because Tracy wants to pick up some beer. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell insist on paying for the pizzas, which Kaja respectfully declines. It's bad enough they're staying at a hotel, no way is Kaja going to let them buy dinner too.

The mood in the house isn't upbeat, but isn't somber. It almost seems like a normal night, but everyone knows it is anything but a normal night. Eric and Derek play Pajak Trap with their grandparents at the kitchen table which has been moved to the dining room so everyone is in the same room. Kaja, Liv, Gaia, Karrera, and Tracy play poker with Liara being the dealer at the dining room table That way, Gaia can't say Liv is counting cards or Kaja is cheating. Even though Liv does count cards. She can't help it. It comes naturally to her.

Gaia's behavior has been a shock to everyone, including Liara. Liara wasn't sure how Gaia would act to the news of Cass dying, but is very happy with Gaia and how she is handling being around Kaja again. The last time they were together, Gaia ended up in the pool after being tossed there by Kaja. After hearing the story from all three daughters and Cass, Liara knew Gaia deserved what Kaja did, but was disappointed in them both when it happened.

Now, you wouldn't know they hadn't spoken for almost seven years. Same with Liv and Gaia. This proves to Liara that how she and Leia raised their children was the right way. The one thing Leia preached to all three girls was for them to be there for each other when they needed it the most. Gaia has done that and done it without a complaint. The only thing Liara has heard from Gaia has been about how she's missed out on spending time with her nephews and how it is her own fault. Hopefully, the three sisters can get close again like they were when they were younger. Kaja needs the support and so does her kids.

Kaja glances around the room. The boys are smiling while playing their game with grandma and grandpa Mitchell. She smiles when she hears the krogan laugh when the pyjak gets caught in the trap. The laugh sounds like Grunt's laugh. She needs to contact him and ask him about it. The boys will love knowing they know the krogan in their new favorite game. Kaja makes eye contact with Mr. Mitchell, he nods approvingly to his daughter-in-law. She's thankful, they don't blame her for their daughter's death. There are times she feels if she could have done more, gotten there faster, maybe Cass wouldn't have died.

Dwelling on 'what ifs' won't help Kaja get past her grief. She knows this, but knowing and doing are two different things. She watches Derek's face when his pyjak wins the game. They're the reason she can keep going. Why she must keep going and not wallow in self-pity and guilt. In a few days when everything goes back to normal or their new normal is her next test. The test to see if she has what it takes to raise two human sons alone. It's not uncommon for her people to raise their daughters alone, but a T'Soni is not a common asari. They get a career too young, bond too young, and have kids too young by asari standards.

Kaja looks around the table, she smiles at Karrera who just bluffed Liv into folding a Jack high straight. Her daughter makes her proud and reminds her at the same time of the mistakes she made the last time she was in this situation. Dealing with a death in the family and not handling it very well. She vows she'll do better this time. Because not only do the twins need her, so does Karrera. She looks at her sisters and realizes how wise her father really was. Family is important, but so is one's duty and sometimes family comes first. She's not sure if her father would agree at putting family before duty to the whole, but for Kaja there is no whole without her family.

Kaja always knew Cass would pass away some day. She never once thought Cass would die because of something that happened twenty years ago. Let alone Cass becoming a murder victim, a statistic. Statistics, everyone in the galaxy is one. Dead or alive and Kaja hates to break it down to those simplistic terms, but it's helping her cope with her loss. She also hates all the negative feelings she has felt since Cass died in her arms. She smiles at Gaia who is busy teasing Liv about being bluffed out of the winning hand by a pair of fours.

If there is a silver lining in Cass' death, it's Gaia. Kaja doubts she would have contacted her sister about Cass. Knowing how her sister felt about her bondmate, Kaja doubted very much Gaia cared enough about her to come home. She couldn't have been more wrong. Either Liara has said something to Gaia or Gaia has finally realized the type of person she was turning into and decided to change. What ever sparked it, Kaja is glad to have her younger sister back. Even if it's for a short time. Kaja still isn't sure how much she can trust Gaia. So far, she's kept her word. She returned as soon she was done with her production schedule and has been wonderful with the twins and Karrera.

Kaja is already handling Cass' death better than her father's. Not just because she has been remembering everything Dr. Tattius taught her about moving past one's grief, but because of her three children. She needs them as much as they need her and they need her to remain strong. Kaja is looking forward to everyone leaving and at the same time, she doesn't want anyone leaving. Having her sisters and in-laws around has given Kaja the stability she needs, but she also is wanting some privacy to mourn her loss. She hasn't been alone since taking Cass' body to the morgue twelve nights ago.

She hasn't slept in her own bed and has been sleeping on the couch. It's finally time for her to start moving forward. She's been letting Liv and Tracy sleep in her bed instead of them going back and forth from Liara's. The couch isn't exactly made for sleeping on for days at a time and Kaja wants her bed back. Even if she's sleeping in it alone. She still wishes Jimmy had come after her instead of going after Cass.

Kaja folds her cards the gets up from the table and walks outside. It's dark and there are too many clouds in the sky for the moon to brighten the night sky. Without realizing she's doing it, Kaja balls her right hand into a fist and smacks her leg with it as she looks at the mountain range. She can't look at view from her backyard without thinking about Cass dying in a cabin overlooking their neighborhood. When she thinks about Cass, she relives her bondmate dying in her arms. She wonders if moving would help, but that seems like running and that is something she won't do. Same with leaving the police department. As much as she hated investigating crimes in the asari military, Kaja enjoys working for the local police department. She feels she makes a difference and she is actually glad she's replacing Tish. The academy is a nice posting, but she'd rather keep the bad guys off the street than teach others to do her job. She's past her doubts about continuing her police work and Kaja feels Cass wouldn't want her to quit because she died and how proud her sons are about her being a police detective.

Kaja can't quit and do something else. She should spend more time behind her desk than being on the streets, but that doesn't mean she's going to take a hands-off approach to helping her squad close cases. Only time will tell how much time she'll have to spend with her family. Kaja's lucky and she knows it. Her mother is two houses away and will help on a moment's notice. Both Gaia and Liv have promised to help anyway they can being they live in the Sol system. The same with Cass' parents. Kaja has already made plans for them to visit Earth next weekend, so the boy can spend more time with their grandparents.

One day at a time, that is all Kaja needs to do now. Take everything one day at a time. The next few days and weeks are going to test the asari in many ways. Will the boy's behavior change once the extended family leaves and everything returns to normal? Can she hold it together if their behavior goes south? Kaja isn't sure if she knows how they will react once everyone leaves. They miss their mother, she knows they do. Either Eric or Derek keep asking why she had to leave them. Kaja keeps giving them the same answer she gave Derek the first time he asked it.

Kaja returns to the table in time for Liara to deal her in. For tonight, Kaja enjoys the comfort from being around her family. She will deal with what comes tomorrow, the next day and every day after that. Kaja has never taken an easy path, this is no exception. A faint grin appears on Kaja's face when she thinks about something her father said to her once. It's an old human saying, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger." Kaja believes that. Cass is gone, but every day since, Kaja feels a smidgen better than she did the day before. She's not going to stop grieving overnight and hopes her family continues their support. She needs it now, but she also knows she might need it again in the near future. Or Derek, Eric, or Karrera might need it too.

That's Kaja main focus. Her children. Karrera is getting ready to leave to attend college, but at times during the past week, Kaja gets a feeling Karrera wants to stay home and help with her brothers. Cass would want Karrera to go to school and not stay home. Kaja isn't sure what she wants Karrera to do. She does want her daughter to finish her last two classes next term, but isn't sure she wants Karrera to move to Thessia to attend college. Not when she can stay home and attend the university here. They'll cross that bridge when the time comes. The only thing Kaja can hope for is she can continue to make the right choices and teach her kids the same values her parents taught her.

Being a single parent is Kaja's duty and the only one that truly matters to the asari.

_Fini_

A/N:Thanks to everyone who enjoyed this story. I'm taking a two week hiatus from posting. I have a few chapters of a new story written, but have run into a wall called writer's block and I'm not sure when it will get finished. I don't want to be that author who starts a story, but never finishes it. I don't think it's fair to you, the reader.

N7-CMDR has done another piece based of this story. It's called Missing You.

I would also like to thank a million times over my proof-reader. Tkvis. He wasn't afraid to call me out on something he didn't like or wasn't working. This story turned out better because of it.

The next story is about how the family has moved on since Cass' death and set when the boys are 15.

Yes, I do plan on going back to Shepard/Liara stories. I need to write what sticks in my mind at the time. The moving on story was/is on my mind, but having a hard time getting it finished. Please, be patient with me.

You'll get more stories in the future, I promise.


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